


Blue Princess

by SenseiLink



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Ace!Yukio, F/M, Fem!Rin, I'm Bad At Tagging, Shiro lives, first person POV, pan!Rin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:47:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 61
Words: 243,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22265116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SenseiLink/pseuds/SenseiLink
Summary: AU where Rin Okumura was born a girl, and canon changes slightly accordingly.  Eventual BonRin.  Rin is pan, Yukio is ace, Shiro is alive but in a coma, and I suck at summaries.  Based heavily on the manga, but with a few additional scenes of my own.  Better than it sounds.
Relationships: Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji
Comments: 71
Kudos: 352





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this is my first fanfic I’ve written. I’ve been working on it for probably about two years now, so I have a LOT done, but I’ll try to post a chapter every few days so it’s not too overwhelming (also, I have a lot to focus on, like work and school, so I’ll be busy). Please enjoy, and let me know what you think!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight update on chapter 1. I didn't like the previous format (it erased all my italics and paragraph indents) so I fixed it. I hope it's easier to read now!

Rin POV:

My fist slams into the side of my opponent’s face, and the poor guy hits the ground hard. A bruise is already forming on his cheek. _No_ , I have to remind myself, _this isn’t a ‘poor guy.’ This jerk deserves this more than he knows._

Reiji Shiratori’s buddies help him up with terrified looks on their faces. Good. They _should_ be terrified of me. _Everyone_ is, anyway. “This girl is bad news, man!” one of them says, trembling before me. “She’s so scary, like a demon!”

“Let’s go, guys!”

As the delinquents run away, I wipe away the blood that’s dripping from my nose. It smears all over my hand, staining it red, but I pay it no mind. “ _I’m_ a demon, huh?” I murmur to myself quietly, a little amused. But it’s not like this is the first time I’ve been called that. My nickname, given to me by the other kids my age while I was growing up, was actually ‘Demon Rin,’ since I was always getting into fights, and though I used to hate the name, I’ve come to accept it. It never even really mattered _why_ I was fighting, to most people. As a girl, it’s typically deemed ‘improper’ by society for me to fight other people, especially with how brutal some people said I could be. But they had good reason to call me brutal. Because even if the only reason I ever did fight was to protect the weak and innocent, or defend my (younger) twin brother against bullies, if I fought, my opponent always lost. I was always leagues ahead of everyone else, including boys, in terms of physical strength, hence my nickname. “If I’m a demon, those punks are a thousand times worse than anything I’ll ever be.” Then I notice my split and bloody knuckles. _I went and got into another fight. Why does this kind of stuff always happen to me? I can’t help it if I notice something unjust going on and have to do something about it._ “Guess I’m going to get another talking-to for this.” Dad’s not going to be happy with me. Neither will my brother. Suddenly a pigeon, the only one to survive the torment of the guys I just fought, takes off and flies away, startling me. As I look up to watch it, I notice the sky. It was evening when I left home, but now a beautiful dawn is breaking. As much as I would love to sit here and admire it, I have to go home now. _How did I lose track of time like that?_ “What am I doing?” I wonder aloud.

“I’m home!” I announce.

“Welcome back,” says the boy meeting me at the door. Yukio is my twin brother, but looks almost nothing like me. Brown hair instead of black, more turquoise eyes instead of deep blue, and three moles on his face (one on the right side of his chin and two, one about a centimeter directly above the other, below his left eye). Another thing he has that I don’t is a pair of glasses so that he can see (I count myself lucky that I’m the twin with perfect vision, because sometimes I think his glasses are a nuisance to him). He’s a lot taller than I am, at 185 cm rather than my 170. The only things I have more of than my brother is a chest (I am very… well-endowed, even for a fifteen-year-old) and hair (my long hair is at the behest of our father, since short hair isn’t ‘ladylike’ enough for a girl like me). “Where’ve you been, sister?” my brother asks.

But after the night I’ve just had, I’m really in no mood to bother with answering him right now. “I’m hungry,” I grumble. “Any food around?” I haven’t eaten since dinner last night, and I’ve been awake this whole time. I’m starving for some good food (well, as good as it can get around this place when it’s not my cooking). 

“Sure, but…” Yukio doesn’t get to finish his sentence as I push past him and head towards the kitchen to find our father and the rest of the priests of the monastery within its familiar depths.

“Ah, Rin,” says Father Shiro Fujimoto, my and Yukio’s adoptive father. “You’re home.” Various greetings from the other priests, Naoya Kyodo, Seishiro Nagatomo, and Tadashi Misumi, echo around the table as I sit down and Yukio starts getting me some food. “You leave for the job center, and don’t come back until morning. Now that’s either diligence, or you’ve found a job that keeps you out of the house all night.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. I know my father’s joking, and I roll my eyes. “So, how did it go? Or are the details too graphic to talk about at breakfast?” I try not to groan out loud. He’s my dad, and I know his job is to embarrass his kids, but sometimes I wonder if he knows when he takes things too far. Usually, I don’t really think he does. 

“You’ve been fighting again,” comments Yukio, noticing my bloody clothes and knuckles. “You’re injured.” _Traitor!_ I flinch, knowing what’s next.

“What?!” Father shouts, his light-hearted mood gone. “Rin! Why do you always feel the need to get into fights? How many times have I told you to think with your head, not your fists?” He throws his chopsticks at my head. Hard.

“Ouch! Like you’re one to talk!” I shout back, clutching my forehead in pain. _What a hypocrite!_

“Useless girl! If you’re going to get physical with someone, at least make sure it’s a paid and pleasurable experience! But please use protection, dear, I don’t want to be a grandpa too soon…”

I know he’s messing with me again, but why again with the suggestive stuff? Actually, no, that wasn’t just suggestive, that was almost explicitly saying that I should become a prostitute rather than fighting people who have done evil things! My face heats up against my will, and I know he knows he’s gotten to me. “Shut up, you pervy old man! I’m not interested in that crap yet!” Even if I might want a family later in life, I don’t want one right now, because I’m _fifteen years old_ ! And so far, no one has given me a reason to like them enough for that! All throughout my third year of middle school, on the days I _did_ decide to show up, I would notice a lot of boys and a few girls checking out my body, since I have a lot of features that are considered attractive. My height, my curves, my face, my hair. Fortunately, no one has tried anything inappropriate, since they all know that I’m capable of defending myself very well (thanks to my winning streak in fighting), even without the help of my larger (but slightly younger) twin brother. But that also drove people away from forming a genuine relationship with me. 

Father sighs (is that relief or exasperation?), reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Then perhaps you’ll be interested in this. Pass that to Rin.” He passes the paper down to my end of the table from priest to priest.

When it reaches me, I open it and scan its contents. Then my jaw drops. No way this is real. “What’s all this about?” I ask suspiciously.

“It’s a job offer from a friend of mine,” says my father. “He needs a hand at his restaurant. If you want to go, your interview is today.”

Suddenly I’m incredibly nervous. “A restaurant? Me?” _Could I really be qualified to cook for or serve mass amounts of people each day? What would customers or coworkers think of a delinquent working at a place like that?_

“Of course. Cooking is one of your strong points, and you’ve got a lot of people who will back me up on that,” Father states logically. I get all sorts of nods from Kyodo, Nagatomo, and Misumi. They know firsthand of what I’m able to do in the kitchen, so of course they’d agree. 

_I know I might be good at cooking, but…_ “I’m not respectable enough for a job like that,” I say, voicing my objections. They’re talking to a girl who always gets into fights, and wins by completely annihilating her opponents. I’ve even had people challenging me, which always turns out as a miserable failure for them. I even have a well-known reputation as a delinquent. “I won’t be able to handle it…”

“Foolish girl!” my father shouts. I flinch. “With your utter lack of qualifications, you think you have the luxury to pick and choose? You can’t stay here forever, and as your legal guardian it is my job to ensure you are able to at least make it out there on your own!”

“I’m not stupid! Of course I know that!” I all but scream. Before I can say anything else, there is a small explosion behind me as the stove suddenly explodes. Just as quickly, however, and before I can see it, the fire is gone.

Before anyone can say anything about it, someone approaches my father and tells him, “Father Fujimoto, there’s someone here to see you.”

“I see,” he replies. “Yukio!” he addresses my brother. “Treat Rin’s injuries for her, would you?”

“Right.”

“Stupid old man,” I grumble. _Oh, well._ Not really anything I can do about him, so I strike up a conversation with my brother. “Yukio, when are you starting high school?”

“Soon.” As always, he keeps his answer short, sweet, and sort of vague. But I can’t help but be proud of him. He’s attending one of the most prestigious rich-kid schools in Japan, even though our monastery is pretty much dirt poor. He got in on scholarship, since he’s so smart, and studying all the time certainly didn’t hurt his chances of getting in either. He even looks like a nerd, with his glasses and moles, but he’s a cute nerd. 

“Ah, True Cross Academy, huh?” I grin. “A real elite school, isn’t it? You really must be awesome! Makes me so proud to be your twin sister!”

Yukio grins shyly. “Hm,” he acknowledges me. “I’m just working as hard as I can because I want to become a doctor, that’s all.”

“And I know you can do it!” I have total confidence in him.

“I’ll do my best.”

“You’ll be a fantastic doctor one day, I’m sure of it. You’re already an ace at this first-aid stuff, after all!” He’s fixed me up loads of times after my fights. I’ve never had any broken bones before, but he’s tended to pretty much all the cuts and scrapes I’ve ever gotten. 

“Only because you keep getting into fights… Can’t you just act like a girl for once? Go out with friends, talk about guys you like, shop for cute clothes, paint your nails, maybe actually wear a dress willingly…?”

“Sounds like you know more about being a girl than I do, Yukio. You sure there isn’t something you want to tell me?” I tease. He does have a point, though. I guess I’ve always been what some people would call a tomboy. And it’s not just the fighting, either, but also the way I dress. The closet I share with Yukio, except for a select few items that are more feminine in nature, is made up of guys’ clothes. But that’s what I’m comfortable with. Right now, I’m wearing ripped black skinny jeans, black sneakers, and a dark blue hoodie. It’s kind of a rebellious look, though I don’t really mean it to be, but it’s kind of my style when I’m not in my school uniform. “But yeah,” I agree, becoming more serious and somber, “I’m as big a screw up as you are a success.”

“What do you actually want to do?” Yukio asks. 

“What now? You want to lecture me too? I swear, brother, you’re turning into Dad. Give it ten, twenty years, and I’ll be coming over to see my little nieces and nephews and telling them how much their dad is like their grandfather.”

“I’m just worried about you, sister, that’s all. And the same goes for Father, you know. We all worry about your future.”

“You know, it might not look like it, but I’m actually trying to grow up, and become a respectable member of society. But I dunno… I just can’t seem to find the chance…” Every time someone even looks at me, I know they’re judging me, even if they don’t say anything out loud. _‘With big boobs and a pretty face, she won’t amount to anything but a trophy wife if anyone even wants her.’ ‘She’s the one who keeps getting into fights, so how can she possibly be a respectable young woman?’ ‘She’s going to scare everyone away, if she keeps using her strength as a means of brute force and intimidation.’ ‘She’s beautiful, but what’s with the rebellious, thug-like look?’_

Yukio regards me with a look of pity for a moment. Then he puts on an optimistic grin. “Well,” he says brightly (a little too brightly for him, I think), “this is just an idea, but you could always try going to that interview.”

My jaw drops. “What?” _He actually thinks I can do this? Get a job at a restaurant? Is he seriously so optimistic to believe that I’ll get the job and not screw anything up?_

“Come on, it’s not really that big a deal, right?”

Before I can tell him that I think he’s absolutely out of his mind, I hear Nagatomo calling out to me. “There you are!” Suddenly a flat-ish box is flying at my face, and I catch it. It’s from one of the priests, Nagatomo. “It’s a dress,” he explains. “Maybe a little fancy, but you want to make a good impression, don’t you?”

 _Okay, first of all, why do I get the feeling he’s treating this like I’m going on a date, even though there’s never been anyone who has taken an interest in me? Second of all, where did he get a dress, when I’m literally the only female in a monastery full of guys? Third of all…_ “Hang on,” I protest. “I haven’t actually said I was going…”

“If you get the job, you can have sukiyaki for dinner,” Nagatomo promises enticingly. 

_A bribe?_ Usually I’m against such things, but when it comes to food… I can’t say no. “Meat?! I’m in!” _Yeah! I’m totally stoked now! I’ll definitely go to this interview, and I’ll get hired, too!_

It’s afternoon now. I’ve gotten a little sleep, taken a shower, eaten some food, and gotten dressed. I’m ready to go to my interview. I’m wearing a slim, three-quarter-long-sleeved, dark blue dress that stops just below my knees and isn’t too low cut around the neckline, so there’s barely any cleavage. I don’t hate dresses, but they’re not really my style. This is okay for today, though. My pin-straight black hair, which is usually worn loose and ends at my hips, has been braided into a single long plait and tied off with a rubber band (done by Yukio, though he would never willingly admit that he likes to do his sister’s hair sometimes). I kind of like it; it keeps my hair out of the way and I look somewhat respectable.

The only thing I really don’t like about my outfit is the fact that I am wearing high-heeled shoes. I am low-key angry at the person who invented them, because, while they can make a girl look taller and probably prettier (to a degree), they are literally death traps. The thing with me, though, is that I don’t need to look taller. I already tower over most girls my age. The shoes I’m wearing have 10 cm heels, which means that they’re so high I can barely walk in them. I practice wobbling around in them for a little, so that I’d get the hang of it, but I’m still unsteady as I’m leaving.

On my way out, I hear a voice say, “Thank you very much, Father.”

I look out the window, and see my father talking to a small family, made up of a father, a mother, and their small daughter.

“No problem,” my father says kindly. “Nothing to go worrying yourself about. Here, take this.” He kneels down and holds out a small object to the little girl in front of him. “It’s a four-leaf clover charm,” he explains. “Keep it close, and it should help ward off demons.” He rustles her hair a little bit. _I remember when he’d do that to me and Yukio when we were little,_ I reminisce almost fondly. “You’re a lucky girl, you know? Having a mother and father to look after you.” _A mother and father… I only have one of those, and he adopted us, but I think I’m lucky to have him too. Although, sometimes I do wish I had a mother._ I don’t know who my real mother is or was, and honestly, I don’t want to know. It won’t make any difference who my and Yukio’s real parents are, since they’re both gone for whatever reason. “If things get tough, you can just cry out for help, and they’ll be there for you. And when even that isn’t enough… that’s where I come in.”

He’s still waving goodbye when I come out, my fancy shoes clicking, obnoxiously loud, on the ground, and he’s saying something about how tough it is being both a priest and an exorcist.

“I dunno,” I say skeptically, coming up behind him. “Getting rid of stuff that doesn’t even exist… It’s basically just counselling, isn’t it?” I’m a firm believer that the things he exorcises, demons, aren’t even remotely real. How could they be? There’s no such thing as magic, or spells, or beings capable of using such methods to get what they want. 

“Little fool… Demons exist, alright,” says Father. “They’re inside our hearts.” _Right. Of course, where else would they be?_ I think sarcastically. They certainly wouldn’t be in the real world, where I try to live most of my time. “Anyway, what’s with that get-up? Has my little girl got a date?”

 _What?! He’s messing with me, right?_ “O-of course not! Where do you come up with this stuff?! First of all, there is absolutely _nothing_ ‘little’ about me anymore,” as anyone can see by my height and my chest, “and second of all, how do you think _I_ would manage to get asked out? I just thought I’d check out that interview! This dress doesn’t really suit me, and don’t even get me started on these stupid heels…” I sigh in exasperation. The last thing I need is to waste time on a rant about this terrible choice in shoes. “But I probably look a bit more respectable this way, right…?” _Respectable, and absolutely nothing like myself. Plus, I really don’t like this dress. At all. It’s super tight, so I can’t move very well in it. That, paired with these heels, and I’m guaranteed to be headed for disaster._

“That you do,” my dad agrees, smiling proudly. “Not to mention more beautiful than usual, and I didn’t know that was possible.” I blush. _Why must he be like this?_ But he just looks at me with fondness in his eyes. “Dear me… I can’t believe my daughter has grown into quite the beautiful young woman, even if your mind isn’t quite there yet.” _I can’t really disagree with him there… given my track record with fighting…_ “You know, when you were little, you were such a cute kid. I remember the way you used to go, ‘Daddy, Daddy!’” 

_Why does he bring up stuff like this? He’s so embarrassing! Then again, he’s my dad, so I guess he’s kinda supposed to be embarrassing…_ “What are you talking about?!” I demand, my face still red. “It’s not like I can be cute as an adult! That’d be weird!”

“Adult…?” He comically looks around. “I don’t see an adult!” Then he bursts out into laughter. Apparently, what he said just now was incredibly amusing.

“Well, I don’t see one either!” I snap back at him, glaring. The instant he realizes what I just said, and understands the implications of it, he stops laughing, but the ghost of his amusement still lingers in his eyes and on his lips.

“If you don’t like it, then why don’t you try showing me just how much you’ve grown up, hm?”

“Darn right I’ll show you! You don’t have to tell me that! And watch closely, so you don’t miss a thing!” I spin around and do my best to stomp away. It’s hard in heels. “Just you watch…” I mutter. I’m going to ace this interview. I’ll get the job, and even if I start as a waitress, I’ll work my way up to head chef! I’ve got this!

I’m still trying to keep my balance on these stupid death-trap shoes (where did they even come from, anyway?) as I’m walking to my interview. But when I look around to see if I can find the restaurant, I notice something strange. Thousands of tiny bugs, or, rather, thousands of tiny things that _look_ like bugs, are floating in the air all around me and the other people nearby. _What are they? Why is no one else paying attention to them? Can they not see them? I’m not hallucinating, am I? No, I’m positive that nothing is wrong with my eyes._

Then I hear a familiar voice behind me. “Okumura!” I turn to see the guys who were ripping the legs off pigeons this morning. _Great._ I almost groan, but then I really get a good look at the leader, Reiji, the one I beat up this morning. The guy has changed somehow, and not in a good way. He has horns and a tail now, almost like the demon they called me (is he cosplaying?), and he’s covered in those little black things. But it doesn’t take a genius, and lord knows I’m not one of those, to realize that there is something seriously wrong with this guy. It takes all my willpower to stay and listen to what he has to say, because all he seems to want to do is talk. “Sorry about this morning, yeah? Were you okay?” he says. “We kinda… weren’t thinking straight yesterday, and we wanted to apologize. So, maybe you have a moment?” First of all, I think they were thinking _very_ straight (they knew _exactly_ what they were doing), and second of all, I don’t like his smile. _What’s with this guy?_

Against my better judgement, which is screaming at me to kick off these heels and run in the other direction, I agree to go with him. “I guess…”

What I expect is for him and his buddies to lead me into a secluded alleyway. Which they do. What I don’t expect is to be offered a bribe to keep quiet about the whole pigeon incident. Which they also do. Reiji asks me how much I want.

“Huh?” _For him to ask me to name a price for my silence… Why would he do something like this?_

“I’m starting at True Cross Academy soon,” he informs me. “It’d be bad if any weird rumors started about me, y’know?” _Is that really all he’s concerned about? What is it with men and their reputations?_ “So, I’ll pay you however much money you want. Or, if you’d prefer a different method of payment,” he looks pointedly up and down my body, and I shiver, “that can be arranged. I can find ways to make you _very_ happy. Trust me, if you spend a night with me, you won’t regret it.”

Reiji is creeping me out immensely right now. But I try not to dwell on this or mention it to him. Instead, I say, as nonchalantly as possible, “Oh, you’re going to the same school as my brother? I guess I can see what you mean. No one would really want to deal with a bunch of idiots who think it’s fun to chop the legs off pigeons.”

I meant to offend him, but it doesn’t work. He just laughs. “So, yeah, just a little something to keep your lips sealed. I’ll pay you anything you want, so let’s just keep this between you and me.”

He doesn’t realize that paying me is unnecessary. Bribes don’t work on me, no matter how poor the monastery is. I like to think I have the moral high ground compared to people who _do_ accept bribes. And anyway, I don’t want his money. Or whatever he plans to do to me to make me ‘happy.’ “I don’t need your money, and I’m not going to say anything,” I promise. Thinking that we’re done here, I turn toward the alley’s exit so I can leave. “Is that all? I’ve got somewhere I need to be.” The interview won’t wait forever, and I didn’t put on these death traps (high heels) for my own vanity.

“Woah, woah, what’s with that? You’re trying to act all tough and strut away like a supermodel?” Reiji says, making me wait again. _This is getting ridiculous._ “No need to hide it, you guys are so poor that you can’t even afford a proper education, aren’t you?” _Why is this guy trying to pick a fight with me? We already established that he’d lose. Everyone loses against Demon Rin._ “I mean, even your brother, Yukio Okumura, had to work his butt off to get himself a scholarship to True Cross, didn’t he?” I freeze. _Nope. He did NOT just go there._ There are lines you just never cross with me, and this is one of them. “You’re, like, in debt. Poor guys, just put this toward your fees, yeah?” He holds his money out to me again, but this time, I’m not even going to pretend to be nice when I decline it.

Before I know it, my fist becomes, all too happily, reacquainted with his face, and this time, I’m seeing red. “You jerk,” I hiss. “You can say whatever you want about me, but don’t you _dare_ go bad-mouthing my brother!” I don’t care what people call me. Demon, monster, thug, it doesn’t matter. But the _instant_ they say anything derogatory about Yukio, that’s what pushes me over the deep end. I have had an entire lifetime of experience defending him from bullies like Reiji. My instincts automatically kick in, and I usually don’t give anyone a chance to apologize or defend themselves before my first punch flies.

“Hahaha, man, that hurt,” he says, getting up from where my fist put him on the ground. “Don’t get cocky, you filthy little beggar!” he shouts. “Get her!” he orders his buddies. Suddenly I’m face down on the ground, pinned down by three teenage boys. For a moment, I can swear there’s a hand squeezing one of my breasts, and if there isn’t something slightly stiff ( _that better not be what I think it is_ ) poking into my back, I’m a monkey’s aunt. My dress is also riding up the back of my thighs, something that these boys are going to eventually notice and most likely take advantage of. _God, I hate men._ “That’s it, hold her down like that! Be careful, though, she might be pretty, but she’s a monster!”

I am extremely tempted to say, ‘No, I’m a demon. You said so yourself earlier. Now you say I’m a monster? Please make up your mind about my species.’ But something tells me that it would be a very good idea to hold my tongue, so I say nothing. Reiji picks up a piece of paper from the ground, and I recognize it as the one that contains the address for the restaurant I am (or was) going to interview for. I was carrying it in my hand, rather than my purse, so I could keep checking the address and make sure I was in the right place. I must have dropped it when they tackled me.

“Job interview?” He scoffs. “Is that what the dress is for? I knew there had to be some special reason. I never really pegged you as a girl who willingly wore pretty clothes.” He’d be right, if I actually cared about what I wear. Then again, I _have_ always just shared a closet with my brother. As he so generously pointed out, our monastery’s poor, so whenever we’re not in school, I just wear the guys’ clothes in our wardrobe. Reiji crouches down next to me and uses his repulsive hand to pat me on the head, then draw his fingers down my jawline in a sort-of caressing motion. It takes everything I have in me not to shiver “You really are a miserable little thing, aren’t you? Even the girl everyone called a demon back in middle school… once we graduate, she’s just another job-hunter. When it comes down to it, on your own, you’re just the scum of society, aren’t ya?” _I really don’t like his creepy smile._ Suddenly there’s a knife in his hand. “You know, that hair of yours is _awfully_ long. If you’re looking for a job, you’ll want a haircut, won’t ya? Well, I’ll help you out!” 

“A-are you sure about this?” asks one of the guys on top of me. I think he’s the biggest one, the one in the middle, right on my back. “W-we don’t have to go that far… This is turning into a real crime…”

“Shut up!” Reiji shouts, punching the guy in the face right above my head. The guy collapses, and if I wasn’t experiencing his full weight before, I certainly am now. This guy is really heavy. Reiji picks up the end of my braid, strangely not caught in between me and the guys holding me down, and runs his hand up it until he’s reached the base of my neck. “I think,” he almost purrs, “I’ll start with cutting this thing off. It’s so pretty, and I want it as a trophy to tell the world that I won against the demon, Rin Okumura. And, afterward, I’ll let you show your gratitude to me. If you’re still alive, that is.” _Show my gratitude? More like he’s going to rape me right after this. I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t share me with his friends. I’ll be even more lucky to not get pregnant from it. I can’t have a kid right now… and one fathered by this guy in particular would be especially bad…_ I’m terrified. Truly, genuinely terrified. There’s nothing I can do to stop him. He’s going to scalp me and probably rape me and then most likely leave me for dead. He grins cruelly as he brings the knife closer to my throat. If I somehow end up surviving this, I won’t let him get away with it. I am going to make him rue the day he was conceived. 

“Stop!” I scream, thrashing around to free my hair from this creep’s grasp but not succeeding.

But he only holds me tighter. “Don’t struggle, now! If you do, you won’t be allowed to get mad if I slip up and cut open your head instead, y’know? I’m just an amateur!” His eyes are filled with insanity. And… I’m suddenly almost positive that he’s not even human anymore. As if his appearance wasn’t enough of an indication. That’s not just cosplay. _He’s a demon…_ I realize. Not just one of my dad’s stories, or anything like that. A genuine demon. I’m positive of it. And I can’t fight against him. “Hey, maybe your brains will end up spilling out too!” _He’s going to kill me. He has no intention of taking advantage of me, he’s actually going to kill me._ This is the first time in my life that I actually feel scared, because I’m truly being threatened, and it is extremely possible that I’m actually going to die.

And then, for no conceivable reason at all whatsoever, I burst into flames. The weight of the guys pinning me down is gone, and I can get up on my hands and knees now, but as I do, I am no longer concerned with my assaulters. Instead, I’m staring at my hands. “What… is this?” I wonder aloud. First of all, the fire is not burning me. It’s warm, but not uncomfortably so, and I remain completely unharmed while the guys have minor burns from being too close. Second of all, the flames are a bright, cold, _blue_ color. And third of all, the flames seem to be coming from me. _I didn’t think my day could get any more weird before this. Apparently I was wrong. What’s this about? What are these?_ So many questions that I doubt anyone has the answer to flood my mind. I’m so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I don’t notice that everyone else has run away until the leader speaks up.

“Looks like I was right about you,” he says excitedly, his eyes almost sparkling. “Those blue flames are the real thing, the flames of Satan! Oh, I’ve been waiting so long for this day… I have been searching so long for you, my young princess! Now, let us set forth! Satan awaits us!”

“Satan?” I ask, dazed. _And did this guy just call me a princess? I have to admit that’s a first, and definitely a big difference from being called a demon, but why did he call me that? What’s he talking about? And what does Satan have to do with this?_

Before I can figure it out, I hear a new voice. “... Evil dwells within this heart. O lord, let each be judged according to his deeds.” _What the… Why is my father suddenly here?_ Father finishes reciting what I’m assuming is a piece of holy scripture, with a “Demon, perish where you stand!” An odd black substance (is it smoke? A shadow?) pours out of Reiji’s mouth, and I watch in shock as he falls to the ground. My father addresses me next. “Have you calmed down?” he asks roughly. I’m too shaken up to answer. I’ve never seen anything like this before. And his tone… it’s taken a 180 from earlier, when he was talking to me outside the monastery. “It seems like your power can no longer be suppressed entirely by Kurikara…” he says regretfully.

 _What’s Kurikara? And all this about exorcising, and demons… it can’t seriously be real, can it? Demons don’t actually exist, do they? I’m hallucinating, I have to be. What else would explain all this?_ “Is… is that guy alright?” I can’t help but worry about him, even though he was the one who assaulted me. 

“He’s fine. I exorcised the demon from him. It appears he had only recently become possessed.” If I had any lingering doubts about the existence of demons, they’re gone now. “However, demons tend to possess those most similar to themselves. If this boy does not change, then he may be possessed once more.”

“Demons…” _They actually do exist._

“I daresay you can see them now. The demons, I mean,” says my father, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into reality.

I look at the tiny things floating in the air around me. “These are demons?”

“Indeed. This world, you see, consists of two dimensions joined as one, like a mirror. The first is the world in which we live, Assiah. The other is the world of demons, Gehenna. Ordinarily, travel between the two, and indeed any kind of contact between the two, is impossible,” he explains. “However, the demons can pass over into this world by possessing anything that exists within it. These little ones, for instance,” he points at one of the tiny black things flying around, “are known as coal tar; they are possessing particles of dust. They gather around darkness and dampness, and around humans with a dark nature. But no matter. You will come to understand. Get up.” He holds out his hand to help me to my feet. “Thanks to this incident, they will have learned of your awakening. All sorts of people will come after you now for various reasons. You must be hidden before they find you!” There is obvious urgency in his voice, and I know that this is a serious matter. The fact that my father is no longer playing around like he usually does scares me. 

He grabs my arm to pull me away from this place, to go back home probably, when what he says really hits me for the first time. “Wait!” I shout, pulling my arm away and stopping in my tracks. “Hide? Awakening? What are you talking about? You’re acting like I’m not human!” _Oh, god. Am I, in fact, not actually a human?_ “Just what exactly am I?”

His tone is solemn and serious when he answers me. “You are the daughter of a demon. Born of a human impregnated by a demon, and not just any demon. You are the daughter of Satan.”

The words sink in, and I’m dazed. _The daughter of Satan? Is that really what I am? And is Satan the king of Gehenna? Because there is no other reason for someone to call me “princess” unless my mother, whoever she was, was human royalty. What about Yukio, my twin brother? Is he a demon too? Yukio is probably Satan’s offspring too, unless we’re not actually related. And that’s entirely possible, since we’re not exactly identical twins._

I suppose we must get back to the monastery at some point, because the next thing I know, we’re in my room and my father is packing me a bag. And I assume I lost my high-heeled shoes along the way as well, because my feet are bare now.

“At any rate,” he’s telling me solemnly as he zips up the bag, “you must leave this monastery.” 

“Leave?” Suddenly I find myself in his arms, wrapped in a tight but loving embrace. “Dad?”

“I love you, Rin. Whatever happens, remember that,” he whispers in my ear. “This is for the best. I promise.”

He’s never been this serious before. I really can’t stay here. But I don’t want to leave. This is my home. “Dad… why? What’s going on?”

He kisses my forehead, releases me, and pulls a key out of his pocket. “This is the ‘key of vanishment.’ It can be used to hide anything in any location.” He inserts said key into the keyhole of one of my drawers, turns it in the lock, and pulls the drawer open. Inside is a sheathed sword. “The demon-slaying sword, Kurikara, also known as the Koma sword.” So that’s what he was talking about earlier. “Your powers have been transferred into this sword, and sealed by the scabbard.” He holds the sword out, clearly intending for me to take it. “If you draw it, you will return to your demon form. Never draw it! But never let it leave your side, either. When you must, use the key to hide it.” Without waiting for me to reply, he shoves both of these objects into my hands. He also gives me a cell phone. “Once you leave the monastery, I want you to use this. There is a single number stored in its memory. It is the number of a friend of mine. I doubt you will be able to live as you have done until this day, but my friend will at least protect you. Now go!” He shoves the bag he packed into my arms. 

Up until now, ever since I learned I that I’m a half-demon, I’ve been mostly stunned, aware of but nearly numb to what has been going on around me, to what my father has been saying. It is only now, however, that I fully come back to my senses. This is reality. I am the daughter of Satan. I have to leave the monastery, where I’ve lived my entire life, and go live with someone I don’t know or trust but who my father says will protect me. My demonic powers are here in this Koma sword, and if I ever unsheath it, I will no longer look human (as if I ever was to begin with). Suddenly I’m angry. Angry at Shiro Fujimoto, who has raised me like his own daughter all these years only to kick me out like I’m nothing to him, the instant I become dangerous/in danger, even though he just said he loved me. “Screw this!” I shout. This is hard for me to handle all at once. “What’s going on all of a sudden? Demons? You’re telling me they actually exist? This has got to be some kind of joke!” _That’s right, a joke. I would give anything for my father to tell me that this is all some sort of practical joke, and that it’s over now._ “And what about Yukio?” _Don’t tell me he’s a demon too! Wait, ‘too’? Do I actually think of myself as a demon now?_

“The two of you are fraternal twins. He was a weak-bodied fetus, and the power rejected him. It passed to you alone.” He’s strangely calm about this.

“But… that’s just… why didn’t you _tell_ me?!” At least I know that Yukio actually _is_ my brother, but why keep the knowledge of my powers from me?! Why not just _tell_ me that I’m the daughter of Satan?!

“I wanted to raise you as an ordinary human. So long as you remained to be human, that is.” He’s still annoyingly calm. This is the biggest news of my life, and he’s acting like he’s telling me what he had for dinner last night. 

“And what about me getting a job? You say I need one, but the moment I stop being ‘human’ or whatever, you ship me off to god-knows-where?” Don’t _I_ get a say in all this?! This is _my_ life! Isn’t it?

“That’s not it! This is for your protection!” He is no longer calm about this. But I’m not done.

“You’re getting rid of me! Don’t give me that crap! After all, I’m just some random kid! I’m not like Yukio, I cause nothing but trouble, I’ve been a burden on you my entire life… You just don’t want to play at being a father anymore! Just admit it! And don’t you ever act like my father again!” I scream at him. 

Suddenly I feel his open palm striking my cheek. My head jerks to the side, and the stinging pain lingers. “We have no time for petty arguments! Do as you’re told!” Father Fujimoto orders firmly. 

“... Fine.” I pick up my bag and sword. 

He starts to lead me out of the monastery. _This is it, I guess. The start of a new life for me. Will I ever see Shiro Fujimoto or anyone else here ever again? What about my brother? Is there no way for me to say goodbye to even Yukio?_ Before I can ask about my twin, something starts happening to Shiro. He cries out and collapses to his knees, and I’m by his side in an instant. “Oh no,” he whispers in dread. “To think that I could…”

“What is it? What’s happening?” _He looks like he’s having some sort of attack. Is he going into cardiac arrest? Would Yukio know?_

“Go!” he orders me. “Quickly, get away from me!”

“No!” I stay right where I am. “What’s going on? Get a hold of yourself!” I try to calm him down, but then he looks at me. And I realize that this is not Shiro Fujimoto. Whatever this thing is, it is possessing Shiro’s body.

“Daughter… of mine…” the thing inside his body says through his mouth. “How I have waited for this moment…” He gets up and starts laughing maniacally. I fall backwards out of shock into a sitting position. I scoot back as far as I can, my braid dragging on the ground. “Hey there, sweetie! Doing good? That’s right, the man himself has come all this way just to see his beautiful little girl! So look happy about it!”

Only one thing registers for me. “You’re a demon,” I whisper. And he’s not just any demon, either. He called me his daughter, so… He’s… 

“The name’s Satan,” he says, giving me a horrible grin. “God of demons, and your one and only father. You can call me ‘papa’ if you want!” _What is it with this guy and his obsession with maniacal laughter?!_ I decide I hate him, whether or not he actually is my father. He called himself the god of demons, so that probably explains why that one other guy called me a princess, but seeing what he’s doing to the body of Shiro Fujimoto, my real dad, I don’t care if his claims of being my biological parent are real. I will never accept him as my family. “Now,” continues Satan, “I’d love to stick around and savor a touching reunion, but I’m afraid this guy’s body won’t last much longer.” _Wait, what does he mean by ‘reunion’? I’ve never seen him before, have I?_ Then he says something in a language I don’t understand, does something with his hand, and a black, bubbling thing appears on the floor. “I’m the only demon there is with the power to create this,” he says proudly. “The Gehenna Gate! Now then, let’s go! Gehenna is waiting!” Something dawns on me. _Why aren’t I running?_ But the answer comes to me before I finish the question. _I’m so terrified that I can’t move._ “Oh, right,” he remembers. “I have to destroy this first…” He’s talking about that sword. “I’ll release you from this irritating little curse!” He grins. _Curse?!_

But then I find I can move again. “Back off!” I shout, calling upon my new blue flames. I am, quite suddenly, engulfed in them.

Satan only laughs. “What do you call that? Sneezing? It’s time for you to regain your true power as a demon!” He grabs the back of my dress to drag me into the Gehenna Gate with him.

“Get off me! I’m human!” I know it’s a lie, after the blue flames that came from me earlier tonight, but it makes no difference.

I don’t even know if Satan heard me. “You know, I’m a perfect entity with infinite power. But there’s one thing, one little thing, that I don’t have. Do you know what that is?” I don’t, but somehow I doubt he expects me to answer. “A substance in this world of Assiah powerful enough to contain me! Anything I touch in this world is doomed to destruction! Just like this body… and just like your mother… It’s Assiah that I want! Oh, I created you by accident, of course…” he tosses me so nonchalantly into the Gehenna Gate as I scream for help, for anyone to come save me, “... but I have since realized, it was a master stroke! You exist in the world of Assiah, and yet you bear the blood of the god of Gehenna! You are exactly what I need to make Assiah mine!”

Suddenly I’m in the bubbling portal. I scream. “Someone help me!” But no one comes to my aid.

“Such lovely screams!” Satan cries happily. “You are about to be reborn, my precious daughter!”

And then Shiro Fujimoto is back in his body. “That girl is _my_ daughter,” he says forcefully, “and I’m taking her back!” Without a second thought, and before I know what’s happening, he plunges a blade into his own heart.

“You mean to kill yourself?” Satan asks in utter amusement. “Oh, what a wonderful priest you are! But what this gate has taken hold of, it will never release… Now, what will you do…?”

Suddenly Shiro collapses into the Gehenna Gate with me. 

I’m in shock. _Does he realize what he just did?_ When I speak, my voice is no more than a whisper. “Old man…” _This is not happening. This is not happening. This is_ not _happening._ “Dad!” I scream. “Hang in there! Somebody, help!” Yet again, no one comes. So what should I do? Then my eyes fall upon a certain object. And I know I’m about to do something very, very stupid and very, very irreversible. “Don’t you dare die!” I scream at my dad —my _real_ dad, Shiro Fujimoto — and pull my sword from its scabbard.

The flames are back, and I escape the Gehenna Gate, pulling my dad out with me. I find myself kneeling at its edge, with my sword poised over it. Without a second thought, I plunge Kurikara deep into the portal, and within seconds, it has disappeared, burned away by blue flames. 

But my father is gone, lying lifeless on the floor. 

“Dad…” I whimper, tears spilling from my eyes and streaming down my cheeks. I’m sitting on my knees on the floor, leaning on my sword so that I don’t collapse completely. “I love you too.”

A few days later, it’s raining, the drops of water hitting the window of the hospital room my dad is in. _How appropriate that even the sky cries for him, but I remain unable to._ I’ve never really been one to cry. That night was the first time in a decade, and I got it all out of my system then. But that was before I learned that he’s not dead. Surprisingly, stabbing himself in the chest didn’t kill him. He barely missed his own heart, but it was enough to expel Satan from his body. I stand here, alone, and stare at his motionless, comatose form. “I’m sorry, Dad,” I whisper. “I’m so, so sorry this happened to you. I just… I want you to know that I love you too, and I’m sorry I took you for granted. This is all my fault.” I lean forward and kiss his forehead, the weight of the sword on my back shifting forward a bit and being a constant grim reminder of what happened the day he was possessed. 

My mind wanders, against my will, back to that day. After the portal was closed and Kurikara sheathed, I suppose someone must have heard my screams, because I remember people talking at me and trying to calm me down. I don’t think anything was working, because the last thing I remember is paramedics coming in to remove his body, and then there was nothing else. I guess either my body tired itself out from all the crying, stress, and pain, or someone drugged me to put me to sleep and calm me down. Either way, when I woke up later in Yukio’s room, I noticed all my new demonic features in a mirror. A long tail covered in black fur (which is currently curled around my stomach, under my shirt), four tiny fangs (two on top, two on bottom) in my mouth, and tapered ears, all of these features serving as undeniable proof that I am not human anymore. _Come to think of it, I was never fully human. I’m just half human. My life has just been one big charade that I didn’t even know I was a part of. And now, with this body, that’s clearer than ever. I am a demon. That is undeniable now, as much as I don’t like it. And now I have to live like this for the rest of my life._

I’m still trying to get used to this new form of mine. The pointy ears are easy enough to hide beneath my long hair, and even if people see them no one asks too many questions (so far, anyway). My fangs are less easy to adjust to, since they’re a bit harder to hide when I open my mouth to talk (also I’m starting to learn to bite into food a little different than what I’m used to). But the hardest thing to get used to is this tail of mine. While I can control it, I found it has a mind of its own sometimes, and more than once in these past few days I’ve noticed people around the monastery staring at my shirt, when it had apparently been wiggling a little bit because I needed to find a more comfortable position for my tail. The thing is like a fifth limb that I can’t use, or let anyone see, but I still have to live with. Not to mention it’s super sensitive, so the first time I tried brushing it, it either tickled or hurt, depending on how tangled it was where I brushed. 

I sigh sadly. If only this hadn’t happened. If only I wasn’t a half-demon, and I didn’t have this body, and my dad was still conscious. But it did happen, and something tells me that it would have happened eventually anyway.

I think back to the things he told me, and I remember the cell phone he gave me. _Once you leave the monastery, use this,_ he’d said. _It is the number of a friend of mine._ I pull out the phone from my purse (a small, old, worn black leather thing that was bought at a thrift shop and given to me for my tenth birthday by my father) and stare at it, contemplating. Then I just decide to go ahead and call the number. Now that my father is in a coma, from which he might never wake up, my brother and I have no guardian. I don’t have anything to lose if I call this friend of his. As the phone rings in my ear, there’s another ringtone somewhere else nearby. I look up and see several people surrounding my father’s hospital bed, silently but warily watching me. _Who are they?_ They don’t seem hostile… for now. 

The person on the other end of the line answers with a “Pleasure to meet you, Rin Okumura.” But the voice is coming from both the phone and behind me. I turn around, and see… a clown? He’s holding a very decorated pink phone up to his ear and a small, ugly, pink umbrella in his other hand. The clown snaps his phone shut and keeps talking as if the others are not there. “My name is Mephisto Pheles,” he introduces himself. Well, that voice is definitely the one that answered the phone. “I am a friend of Shiro Fujimoto. You have my sympathies for what you have been through. I have no doubt that he shall awaken, however.” Oh, _that’s_ a relief to hear from someone who’s _obviously_ a doctor. 

I look around at the people in uniform surrounding me, and ask, “Are you people exorcists?”

Mephisto grins. I’ll take that as a yes. “We are known as the True Cross Order.”

 _Alright…_ “Dad said you’d offer me protection,” I say, hoping he actually was telling the truth.

“Ah,” gulps Mephisto, looking somewhat apologetic, “I’m afraid that as an honorary knight, I have certain responsibilities. I cannot confuse personal and public interest.” _What is that supposed to mean?_ “You are the daughter of Satan, therefore you must be killed before you present a threat to humanity.” _Wait, kill me?! So if it were up to him, he wouldn’t kill me? But orders are to kill me because of my raw abilities and who I’m related to, so that takes priority over whatever Mephisto wants to do with me? And what’s this ‘present a threat to humanity’ nonsense he’s talking about? I’ve been everything_ but _a threat to humanity! I only closed the Gehenna Gate, for crying out loud!_ “You have two options remaining to you: let yourself be killed by us, or kill us and flee. Oh, I suppose you have the third option of suicide as well. Now then, which do you prefer?”

None of them. I would prefer none of them. So I offer an alternate option of my own. “Let me join you!” I demand. This way, I won’t be a threat to humanity, whatever I am. “I don’t care what you people say. I’m not Satan’s daughter! I have no relation to that beast! My only father is the old man!” I point to my father in his hospital bed.

A look of amusement flashes in Mephisto’s eyes. I can’t tell if he’s going to take me seriously or not. “And what would you do, if you became an exorcist?”

“I’d beat the crap out of Satan!” And that’s an ironclad promise. That guy deserves every ounce of pain I plan to put him through for doing what he did to my old man, multiplied by a hundred thousand.

Suddenly Mephisto is laughing as if he’s been told the funniest joke in the universe. “Ahahahaha! Oh, this is wonderful… I haven’t laughed like this for an age!” He continues laughing. 

“What’s so funny?!” I demand. 

He wipes the tears of joy from his eyes. “You cannot be serious,” he says, still chuckling a bit.

“I _am_!” I insist angrily. 

“Hmm, Satan’s daughter, an exorcist.” It sounds like he’s tasting the words on his tongue. Then he grins and snaps his fingers. “I like it! Very well!”

What the— _I wasn’t actually expecting him to say yes!_ “Huh? Really?”

“However, the path you have chosen is a long and treacherous one. Do you still profess that you will take it?” _Is he trying to test my determination?_

“I’m not a human or a demon anymore,” I reply. “In that case, I’ll have to be an exorcist!”

And just like that, at the word of this strange, clownish-looking man, my life has been spared. For the moment, at least. Who knows what the future will hold for me?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin’s first day of school doesn’t go as she hopes it would. Also, Ryuuji is a bit over dramatic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos on my first chapter! I was so nervous to post this, but I’m glad to see that at least a handful of people like it, so here’s chapter two.
> 
> Edit: here's a slightly updated version. Hopefully it looks better and is easier to read.

Of course, becoming an exorcist means I’ll have to attend True Cross Academy. With my brother. Who has no idea about our demonic heritage (actually just mine, since, according to Dad, he didn’t inherit Satan’s flames like I did, even if being my brother technically makes him Satan’s child as well). And who is sitting next to me right now in this god-awful pink limousine that Mephisto Pheles (or, as he introduces himself in public, the “chairman of the eminent True Cross Academy,” Johann Faust the fifth) himself came to pick us up in, as our new guardian. All I can think of it is,  _ Really, Mephisto? Pink, of all colors? Why does he like the color pink so much? _ Also, I’m wondering why Mephisto, of all people, is our new guardian. I know he is a friend of our father, but Yukio and I hardly know him. And there’s something really strange about the guy. I don’t trust him at all yet. 

When we left the monastery, our childhood home, Mephisto said we wouldn’t be coming back for a while, since, because True Cross is a boarding school, we aren’t allowed to leave unless we are given express permission. 

_ The place where my brother and I lived for the past fifteen years… _ I think sadly, looking back in the direction of the monastery. I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss Kyodo, and Misumi, and Nagatomo. But most of all, I’ll miss the peaceful years I’ve lived there when I thought I was human. But I suppose I have a bit of a bigger problem on my hands.  _ I’ve barely spoken to Yukio since we visited Dad yesterday, since he left before I did. And he hasn’t asked any questions… I want to tell him what happened to Dad… and about me… but I don’t know where to begin…  _ In my head, I sigh.  _ Ah, I just know I’d screw it up! _ Just what have I come to, where I can’t even talk to my own brother?

Yukio breaks my train of thought. “What’s wrong, sister? That’s a nasty expression you’ve got there…”

“It’s nothing.” I don’t have to tell him now. I can wait until… When, actually? When would be a good time to tell him? Will I even be seeing my brother that often anymore? We’re obviously going to be in different classes, and since this is a boarding school, we’ll be in different dorms, which are most likely separated by gender. I guess I could always call ahead and meet him sometimes, right? Or maybe I’ll see him around campus now and again. 

When we arrive at True Cross Academy, I am stunned by its sheer size. It’s like an entire city, with a complex layout and hundreds, no, probably thousands, of buildings. I notice that Yukio has the same look of wonder on his face that I do on mine.  _ So this is a rich kid school… it’s incredible! _

When we arrive, Mephisto gives me my uniform (he couldn’t have done so sooner? Like maybe when we were back at the monastery?) and gets out while I change in the car, which fortunately has very dark tinted windows so no one can see inside. The uniform consists of a short pink skirt (ugh, again with the pink!), a light tan blazer, thigh-high black stockings, and a little black scarf patterned with thin red and white stripes that I tie around my throat. When I’m done changing and my tail is hidden, wrapped around my stomach under my shirt (which I have kept untucked for comfort), I step out to meet a waiting Yukio and we head to the entrance ceremony together. 

“You look nice in that, Rin,” my brother compliments me as we walk. 

“And you’re very handsome,” I tell him earnestly, returning the compliment. “Ugh, I  _ hate _ this uniform, though,” I complain. “Pink and tan aren’t really my colors, y’know?” I’d much rather be dressed in black or blue. At least those colors would go better with my hair and eyes. Then I notice my brother trembling like a leaf in a wild hurricane. “What’s wrong, Yukio?”

“Ah, I’m getting nervous…” Yukio groans shakily. 

“You’re nervous? But it’s just an entrance ceremony,” I comment.  _ What’s so scary about a little thing like that? It’s nothing compared to meeting Satan. _

“Well, yes, but…”

“First year student representative: Yukio Okumura!” the announcer calls from the podium at the front of the auditorium.

“Yes!” my brother answers, loudly enough for everyone to hear him.  _ Oh. That’s what’s so scary about an entrance ceremony.  _

As my twin stands and heads confidently down to the stage, my jaw drops.  _ I can’t believe that Yukio of all people, the weak, sniveling, scaredy cat I’ve known all my life, is the first year representative.  _ Actually, the fact that he’s class rep isn’t surprising. What’s  _ actually _ surprising is that, when he starts his speech, he’s overflowing with confidence, or so it seems. He may be putting on a brave face since he’s in front of everyone, and he’s probably actually terrified, but either way, he’s doing such a good job with his speech. 

“First year representative… That’s the guy who scored highest on the entrance exams, right?” a girl in front of me asks her friend. 

“Woah… Doesn’t he look kind of cool?”

“Hmm? I think he’s a little plain…”

“We should try talking to him later!”

That they should. I’ve seen Yukio try to talk to girls, when they’re romantically interested in him (they usually are; I mean, he  _ is  _ pretty good-looking, even with his glasses). It’s almost adorable how awkward he gets. Although, be that as it may, I’ve never seen him actually interested in anyone. He makes friends, yes, but in terms of attraction to anyone? Nothing. I asked him about it once, but all he said was he’d rather focus on his studies than waste time dating anyone.

When he finishes his speech, I don’t think I could be prouder of my little brother.

After the ceremony, I sprint out to find him outside the auditorium. “Yukio!” I yell excitedly when I see him, running up to him from behind and jumping on his back piggyback style, my legs around his waist.

“Rin!” Yukio yelps. 

“Don’t ‘Rin’ me, you sly dog! How long have you been hiding this from me?” I shift so that one arm is around his neck and I can ruffle his brown hair with my other hand. “Who knew you were such a hot shot?” I grin, releasing him and dropping to the ground so he can breathe. He turns around to face me. “You never told me you were the class rep! Good for you, you coward!”

“Yeah, sorry I didn’t tell you,” he says bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling nervously. “I wanted to keep it a secret, you know?”

I can’t help but laugh. “And here I was, thinking you couldn’t keep anything from me! You were always such a coward, you’d tell me just about everything. Oh, I’m just so proud of you, brother!” I grab the sides of his face, pull his head down, and kiss the top of his hair in one swift motion. I really am proud to be his twin sister. Suddenly, I notice a small group of four or five girls nearby. They’re all huddled together, and they look like they’re waiting for something. It isn’t until I see them looking longingly at my brother and threateningly at me that I realize exactly what they want. Or, rather,  _ who  _ they want. I mentally grin.  _ This is going to be fantastic. _ “Since you’re no longer a coward,” I say slyly, “surely you won’t mind confronting the fangirls you seem to have picked up.” Before he can say a word, I grab Yukio’s shoulders, spin him around, and shove him toward the girls.

“Hey!” he protests. “Rin!”

“See you later, brother!” I sing playfully behind me as I run off.  _ As if it were my intention to ditch him like that. I wish that were the case. _ Mephisto said he’d return for me after the ceremony, so I have to find a secluded place to meet him.  _ The fangirls are just a convenient coincidence. Poor Yukio. I’ll probably apologize to him later, after I’ve found out how he handled them.  _

After I find a spot, I wait at least twenty minutes before Mephisto shows up. He tells me that I will be attending an exorcist cram school, on top of attending classes at the regular school. He gives me a key, similar to the one that can hide Kurikara, that will lead to the cram school through any door. He warns me, though, that while my ears, fangs, and tail can be explained away, my flames can’t, so my identity as Satan’s daughter must be kept an absolute secret. I have no problem with that. After all, my case is a troublesome one.

Then, as if I haven’t had enough surprises for one day, Mephisto turns into a little white dog. “Exorcists can transform?!”

“No, that’s just me.”  _ Of course it is. _

I toss back my long hair in annoyance and try out my key on the nearest door. I’m greeted by a long hallway, stretching out into infinity on either side of me. Mephisto tells me where my classroom is, and I find it without a problem. It’s not as though I can get lost in a single hallway with all the numbers on the doors in chronological order.

As I reach out to pull the door open, I hesitate. I can’t help but feel nervous.  _ What if I’m just as bad at making friends here as I was in middle school? _ I also don’t know if I can keep my secret forever, so even if I do make friends, what happens if they find out?  _ Screw it, _ I think.  _ If I can’t make friends here, I don’t need them. And anyway, I should be focusing on becoming an exorcist. Nothing else matters right now. _ I steel myself, open the door, and, as confidently as I can, walk in.

The classroom, on top of being small and almost a total dump, is nearly empty. I can see only seven students besides myself. Immediately to my left are the only other girls here. One has strange, round eyebrows and long, dark purple hair tied into pigtails, and the other has a cute brown bob cut. On the other side of the room are three boys: a small one with a bald head and glasses, an average-sized one who would be average-looking if he hadn’t dyed his hair a pale pink, and a larger one who has dark brown hair with a blonde stripe running from the front to the back of his head so he kinda looks like a rebellious rooster. But forget about that hair, look at those  _ earrings _ . There are three… no,  _ four  _ in each ear. Even I, as a girl, don’t have a single piercing. I’ve never wanted my ears, or any other part of my body, pierced. Dad would never allow it, anyway.  _ But, even with piercings, this guy is kind of… a handsome rooster, if roosters can look handsome. Can roosters be handsome? This one is. _ I notice the rooster guy is staring at me with a strange look on his face. But the instant we make eye contact, he looks away, blushing as he averts his eyes.  _ Okay then… I guess that happened…  _ The pink haired guy leans over, nudges the rooster guy, and whispers something to him. But I’m already moving on to the last two students. The two in the back are… strange. One is wearing a hoodie that covers his face, and in his hands is a handheld gaming device that he seems very focused on. The other is a small blond boy with a puppet on his right hand.  _ Wow, this is a really small class, _ I think as I go to the only unoccupied area: front and center. I carefully set the Koma sword down on the ground, propping it up against my desk, pull my hair in front of me so I don’t sit on it when I take my seat (as is only proper for a lady, my dad taught me), and wait for our teacher to arrive. My hair isn’t quite long enough to sit on, but I take the precaution anyway just in case it gets caught between my back and the seat. It’s kind of a habit for me. 

It takes several minutes. “Alright, settle down,” says our teacher as he walks through the door into the classroom.  _ I recognize that voice.  _ I turn my head to look at him, and I gasp, because for a moment, I think I’m legitimately going insane. Or hallucinating (even though a hallucination wouldn’t cover the sound of his voice, would it? Maybe it would. I don’t know for sure). But there’s no mistaking him.  _ That’s Yukio up there. My own twin brother is our teacher.  _ “Take your seats, everyone. The lesson is about to begin,” he says. I can’t believe the authority he has in his voice.  _ He was never like this before. This has to be a joke. Right? _ As he introduces himself as “Yukio Okumura, your teacher in anti-demon pharmacology,” I barely hear him because I am focusing all my attention on not dragging that lanky, nerdy, four-eyed mole-face out of here by the collar of that fancy-looking trench coat he’s got on (where did he even get something like that, anyway?) and seriously yelling at him for keeping yet another secret from me.

_ The thing about this is, how long has he been keeping this from me? If he’s a teacher at an exorcist cram school, that must mean he’s an exorcist. And if he’s an exorcist, that means our dad must have trained him, which would have taken time, so when did it start? How long has he been a legitimate exorcist without telling me? And does this mean he knew about me the entire time? Why didn’t he at least tell me that I’m a demon? Or, after the whole incident, he could have at least told me that he knew all along. He and Dad must have had an agreement not to say anything. But why all the secrecy? Why keep me in the dark? He’s my twin brother, we’re supposed to tell each other everything! _ I find myself truly angry at him for the first time in our lives.  _ The thing about being first-year representative is something I can understand. But what I can’t forgive is the fact that he knew about our biological father this whole time, and said nothing. _

Somehow, I manage to keep myself silent and mostly under control throughout the whole lesson. I think he almost calls on me once, but then I give him a particularly angry glare, and he backs off. He knows he’s treading on very thin ice with me right now. He’s seen me truly angry at someone only once. After that incident, he told me he was grateful it wasn’t directed at him, and he even swore to never get on my bad side. Guess he could only keep that promise until now. After class, I’m able to trap him in the room once everyone else has left. I need to talk to him in private. I slam the door shut and turn so I can glare at him some more.

“You knew everything,” I accuse him.

“Yes.”

“And you’ve been an exorcist for how long exactly?”

“Two years.”

“And you and our old man decided to keep me in the dark about this.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” I cross my arms over my chest. “At least you’ve got the decency not to deny anything. What were you thinking? Why didn’t you  _ tell _ me?” And what else isn’t he telling me? Just how much has he kept from me over the years? What was he doing? What was our  _ dad _ doing?

His answer is not one I expect. Then again, not only did I not know what to expect from him, but today has just been a day of surprise after surprise in general. “I became an exorcist to protect you. Father forbade me from telling you what you really are, because he wanted you to live a human life as long as possible before a demon one took over.”

_ I see. _ “So you knew it wouldn’t last, but you didn’t know exactly how long I’d actually maintain a human appearance.”

“Correct.”

“And if you knew about me all this time, how did you feel? What did you think of me?” I’m almost afraid of his answer. 

“How did I feel about you? Isn’t that obvious? You’re a demon.” He pulls out a gun and points it at me. At this point I’m not even surprised anymore, but I am appalled that he has such a cold look in his eyes behind his glasses, full of hatred and entirely lacking in mercy. It doesn’t matter that I’m his sister, the one person who has known him all his life, the one person he has known all his life. His own twin. He won’t hesitate to shoot me. “I consider you to be a danger to us all.” It’s clear now that all he sees in front of him is a demon, an evil being that must be exterminated. “You utter fool, sister. Why did you come up with this ridiculous idea of becoming an exorcist? Revenge for what happened? Some twisted atonement towards Father? If so, if you truly have the nerve to feel that way, you should give yourself up to the vatican. Better yet, you should just die!”

“What?!” I can’t believe what I’m hearing, and from my own brother, no less. “Don’t tell me you actually think it was  _ my _ fault Dad is in the hospital!”

“Do you deny it?” he asks coldly. “Father spent all these long years protecting you. I should know; I watched it all. Our father was the only person in the whole world who had the power to resist being possessed by Satan. So, naturally, Satan was constantly after his body. He was able to fight him off for fifteen years through willpower alone. Father never would have allowed Satan to invade his body like that, not without some kind of fatal blow to his mind.” He looks at me accusingly, and his finger is now actually on the trigger. “You said something, didn’t you?!”

“I… I…” I can’t even deny it now.  _ And don’t you ever act like my father again, _ I’d told him. I had actually screamed it at him. 

“If Father could ever be said to have a weakness, then that weakness is you.  _ You _ , Rin, were the one who hurt Father so badly.”

If that’s his reasoning, and if he’s done talking, I have something to say. “I may be a demon,” I say quietly. But this is just the calm before the storm. “I won’t deny that. So say whatever you want, brother, but let me tell you one thing.” Kurikara is in my hands, and I’m ready to unsheath it. “Don’t you  _ ever  _ point a gun at your own sister!” And then my sword is no longer in its scabbard. My ears and fangs have lengthened, my tail is no longer hidden, and I’m covered in blue fire. “Yukio! Just listen, alright? I wasn’t the one who did that to Dad. But you weren’t there that night. You don’t know how terrified I was, meeting Satan and watching him possess our dad’s body. You don’t know how hard it was for me to just watch as our father stabbed himself in the chest, just to save me! I thought he was actually dead! Do you have any idea how  _ I  _ felt, going through all that?! Look, if you still think it’s my fault, I understand if you feel like you can’t forgive me. But is there any reason for you to point that thing at me?!” He doesn’t respond. “Well?! If shooting me is going to make you feel better, then pull that trigger! SHOOT ME! I’LL EVEN DIE LOOKING LIKE THE DEMON YOU THINK I AM!” I scream the last words. He is annoying me to such lengths that I can’t stand it. I suddenly don’t care if he kills me or not.  _ This world would be better off without me in it, anyway. I wonder if Dad would understand, if he were awake? _ Yukio doesn’t say anything, but he suddenly has a look of shock and horror on his face, as if he only just now realizes what he’s doing. He slowly lowers his gun. “I don’t know who you think I am,” I say as I sheathe Kurikara and return to my normal, half-demon form again, “but I’m not low enough to fight against my own twin. Are  _ you _ ?”

In the few seconds of silence that follow, Yukio puts his gun away, and I return my sheathed sword to its carrying case. “Father’s last waking moments,” says Yukio quietly, “what were they like?”

I think back to that night for the umpteenth time, and allow a small smile to touch my lips as I remember how our father fought Satan. “He was really cool,” I say honestly. “He nearly died protecting me. And it’s not for revenge or anything like that that I decided to become an exorcist. I just want to become strong, so no one ever  _ does _ have to die for me.” I don’t want anyone to go through something like that because of me again. 

“In that case,” says Yukio, “I was the same way. I too became an exorcist simply because I wanted to become stronger.”

_ Huh. I never would have guessed that he’d have the same stupid reason I do. We really are twins, aren’t we? _ “I guess idiocy must run in our family, huh?”

“... I’d rather not get lumped together with you.”

“How cruel, brother,” I pout. “Off topic, how did things with your fangirls go?” I ask slyly, to get revenge. “You know, the ones outside the auditorium?”

He blushes a bright red. “Yeah, about that… please don’t ever do something like that again. They were really mad at you at first, because you were so familiar with me right off the bat, but then I told them that you’re my twin sister, and things got really weird from there.” And then he tells me exactly how weird things became. By the end of it, I am really disgusted, really amused, and laughing really hard. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

_ It’s the first day in cram school, and already I know I’m screwed,  _ I think as I head back to my dorm. The class itself isn’t difficult, and even if the teacher is a little unorthodox since he’s a kid our age, I know I’m not going to have any problems with my grades. But it’s that girl who walked in a few minutes before our young teacher, Mr. Okumura, arrived. 

When she entered the classroom, she just seemed so confident, but not in an arrogant way. And with that absolutely perfect body and pure beauty, how could she  _ not _ be confident? She was tall for a girl, probably about 170 cm. She had slender but long and shapely legs that disappeared under her short uniform skirt. Moderately sized hips. A thin waist (but not too thin) and a big chest beneath her untucked shirt, but perfectly proportioned. And then there was that face: full lips, small nose, and dark blue eyes that are even more beautiful than sapphires. Her long, straight, beautiful, perfect, pitch-black hair fell in an unbroken sheet down her back, ending at her hips. On her back, she carried a long, slender red cloth case.  __ I have no idea what could possibly be in it, but at the moment, I don’t care. 

I was in the middle of staring at her when she looked around the room for a spot to sit and then made eye contact with me. I looked away, but too late. Then Shima nudged me, whispering about how hot she was. He doesn’t know how much I actually agree with him. It’s like she’s a goddess. We just gained a goddess for a classmate. His eyes were all over her for the rest of the class, but it’s not just her appearance that has me intrigued by her. Yes, she’s beautiful. Yes, I saw that she has strangely tapered ears, unlike normally rounded human ones. And yes, for some reason she has fangs, too. No, what had me most interested was what happened after our young teacher, 15-year-old Mr. Okumura, walked in.

He’s an ordinary guy, tall, brown-haired, bespectacled, blue-eyed. But when he walked in, the black-haired beauty gasped, and just when I was thinking she was surprised at his age, her lips pulled back into a snarl, her blue eyes as cold as ice as she glared at him in anger. She was absolutely livid throughout the whole class, all of it directed at our teacher. She trembled slightly in silent anger as she looked like she was doing nothing but plotting his perfect murder. Mr. Okumura almost called on her once, but then saw her face, gulped guiltily, and moved on to someone else. 

_ It’s obvious to me now that she knows him. I don’t know if he’s an ex boyfriend, or an old classmate from middle school, or if he hurt her in some way. _ But either way, when class was over, she stayed behind to talk to him. I didn’t stay to listen.  _ It’s none of my business which of her exes she has a bone to pick with. _

“Bon…” Shima grins slyly at me, breaking me out of my thoughts as he, Konekomaru, and I walk.

“What?”

“Dude, I totally saw you checking out that girl in class.”

I choke on my own spit. “I wasn’t checking her out!” I yell when I can breathe again. The only thing I can do is to deny everything, even if he’s probably (actually) right. I guess I  _ am _ kinda (okay,  _ really _ ) attracted to her. 

“Oh?” Shima says skeptically, a grin spreading across his face. “Does that mean you don’t mind if I ask her out?”

“Why would I mind?! I don’t  _ like _ her, I just found her more interesting than everyone else in class, you losers included.”

“Aw, come on! Don’t be mean!” Shima whines.

“Okay, you’re right,” I admit. “To be fair, Koneko isn’t a loser.”

“Bon!” Shima protests. “And by the way, you were totally drooling over her.”

“I was not! I’ve just never seen anyone like her before! First of all, did either of you notice her ears and teeth? I’m guessing either something happened during her mashou, or she’s not completely human.” The second I say it, I have a hard time doubting it. It’s entirely possible she’s half demon or something. “And second of all, did you see how she looked at Mr. Okumura when he came in? It looked like she wanted to strangle him or something. There’s definitely some history between them, and I’m going to find out what it is.”

“So why were you staring at her like you were a starving man presented with a free buffet? Hmm…?” Shima wiggles his eyebrows deviously. 

“I wasn’t!” I deny again. “I was just wondering what kind of relationship she has with Mr. Okumura! Didn’t either of you notice how angry she seemed to be with him? She  _ knows _ him somehow!”

“What, you think they might be ex lovers, and he broke her heart or something?” Konekomaru asks. 

“I don’t know.”  _ I hope not. _ And who in their right mind would want to break the heart of someone  _ that _ beautiful? “I’m not going to rule out that possibility just yet. But that might not even be the case, they might be connected in another way.” But if they are, I don’t know what it could be. How do they know each other?

  
  


Rin POV

“602… 602…” I mutter, looking for my dorm room. “Ah, here it is.” I open the door to find my roommate unpacking. Because today has been full of surprises, what’s one more, right? “Are you kidding me?!”

“Hey, sister,” says Yukio. “Surprised to see me?”

“Obviously!” As if he couldn’t tell by my outburst! “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

“Ordinarily, first years stay in shared, four-student rooms. But I got them to let us have this one to ourselves.” He grins so innocently, as if it wasn’t creepy for a girl to share a room with her twin brother. And don’t tell me I could have actually shared a room with three other girls! Can’t I just have a normal (well, as normal as it can be with me being… well, a demon as well as an exorcist in training) high-school experience, just like everybody else does? Although, if any of them could see demons, I suppose that could be a problem, especially since I’m no ordinary half demon… But getting back to Yukio.  _ There had better be a very good reason for this. _ “You are dangerous, after all, Rin.”  _ Ah, there it is. Pretty good reason, actually. _ “You need someone to keep an eye on you. So I volunteered!”

_ Keep an eye on me? _ “What is this, a jail?” I have a short hallucination of myself and Yukio, me in baggy striped clothes with handcuffs around my wrists and him with the only key to my chains.

“Yep, and I’m your jailer!”

“Seriously?!”

“Oh, don’t be like that, sister!” He slides up next to me, puts his arm around my shoulders, and kisses my cheek. “I thought you’d prefer this arrangement, since we’re sort of used to it already.”

_ Okay, I admit I’d prefer to have my brother as my jailer, rather than some stranger I don’t know, but still. Unofficially, though, I am a prisoner. Somehow I doubt I’ll ever truly be free again. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin meets Shiemi and notices that Yukio might not be a total stick-in-the-mud.

Rin POV:

“It’s just not right,” I sob. “It’s too sad, I can’t bear it!”

Suddenly the manga is ripped from my hands. “Rin!” my brother scolds. “What are you lazing about reading manga for?”

“Hey! Give that back, Yukio!” I grab at the manga, but Yukio holds it out of my reach, and I’m not about to get out of my comfy bed for it, so I give up.

“What about your work? I gave you some materials to study yesterday, didn’t I? Have you looked over them, at least?”

“Sure,” I sniffle, using the sleeve of my sweatshirt to wipe the snot off my face that had accumulated due to my emotions about the manga. “I looked over them, but what’s this ‘for kids’ stuff? I’m not entirely an idiot, brother.” He gave me children’s books on religion and demons. 

“I realize that, sister, but seeing as you’re just starting out, I thought that this would be the best option.”

“Yeah, and whose fault is that? Neither you nor Dad told me about any of this stuff. Y’know, Dad could have just told us bedtime stories about demons when we were kids, then at least I wouldn’t have suspected it was real until I actually became… well, you know. Although, I can’t deny that I’m better in the field than I am with books, so maybe that was your justification for this being the best option.” I won’t forgive him for it though. Even though I’m his older sister, he seems to like treating me as a child. 

“Maybe. But you do intend to become an exorcist, don’t you? You should at least use this opportunity to prepare for your next lesson.” He reaches for his long exorcist coat.

“Going somewhere?”

“A request came in, so I’m going out to take care of it. I’ll also take care of some shopping while I’m out. I don’t think it’ll take all that long.”

“You mean you’re going out exorcising?”

“Yep.”

“Take me with you!” I don’t think he was expecting me to ask this of him, but I’m just so excited. I don’t even realize that I’ve gotten off my bed until I notice that I’m just below eye level with Yukio. “I could probably learn a lot more actually seeing this stuff first-hand than I would if I just sit around reading about it!” There’s a small breeze behind me, and it takes me a moment to realize that it’s my tail.  _ So do I wag like a dog now? Oh, well. Who cares, right? Dogs are cool. Except when it’s Mephisto. No, get back on track, Rin! _

“If you recall, sister,” my brother tells me stiffly, “you are still a lowly page. You are not authorized for training in the field.”

“But I’ve already been in the field! Screw authorization!”  _ I really want to go. Anything is better than being cooped up here. _

“I suppose you have a point… Fine, I will allow you to observe,” he relents. “But you must do exactly as I say, and no going off on your own. Understand?”

“Yep!”

After we change (he into his exorcist uniform, and I into my school uniform), he takes a key from his belt and shows it to me. “This is the supplier’s key,” he explains. “It is one of the keys that only qualified exorcists are allowed to possess.”

_ Another key? _ “You sure have a lot of those, don’t you?”

“You have some of your own too, yes?” I do. Two of them, actually, which I keep on a chain around my neck. “You should take care of the keys you obtain. They are a very valuable thing to possess. Shall we go, then?” Without waiting for my answer, he inserts the key into our dorm room door, turns it in the lock, and opens the door. We are greeted by a long, high bridge stretching out in front of us. At the end of the bridge is a house.

There’s nowhere to go but towards the house. “So that key’s like a portal or something?” I ask as we walk. 

“This academy is an important base for us exorcists… for the True Cross Order. As such, thanks to Sir Pheles’ power, it is protected against the more powerful demons by a combination of protective charms, barriers, labyrinths and the like. Keys like this allow us to travel around the academy without running into these traps.”

“Huh… I guess that clown really isn’t just your average clown, is he…?” I mutter to myself as we reach the end of the bridge. We go up a set of stairs to a landing, and this is where Yukio leaves me. 

“Well, I’ll be heading in to buy a few things. So you just wait here for a minute, alright?”

“Can’t I go in too?”

“This shop is only open to exorcists and above. I won’t be long.” He starts moving up the staircase in front of us toward the house while I stay on the landing. 

“Fine, fine…” I grumble. 

He goes up several more steps, but then stops as if he’s just remembered something. He turns around. “No wandering about!” he orders me. “And no touching things!”

“Just go!” He finally continues his ascent to the shop.  _ How boring. _ “Stupid Yukio,” I mutter to myself when he’s gone. “Why does he act like Dad now?”  _ I already have two of those (Shiro and Satan), so I don’t need a third, and especially not my little brother. Can’t I just have a mother for once? _

I’m looking around when I notice the second set of stairs off to the right, these leading up to a fenced-off area with a large metal gate. Yukio told me not to go anywhere, so, naturally, I go up the steps to see what’s behind the gate. When I reach my destination, I can’t help but gasp. “Woah, what a beautiful place!” What I see is a very lovely garden, filled with all sorts of colorful flowers and plants. I’m not really a good judge of beauty, but I’m absolutely captivated. So captivated, in fact, that I almost don’t notice the pretty little blond girl sitting in the midst of the garden, working peacefully. She’s probably around my age, and she’s wearing a kimono (strange attire for gardening), an apron, and several layers of dirt. 

I’ve never really had a female friend before. Actually, I’ve never really had any friends before. The other girls at school thought I was a violent tomboy (okay, I kinda was, but there’s a bit more to me than that), and the guys only ever liked my body (after puberty, of course, since my chest got big  _ fast _ ) and never my personality (I guess I can kinda see why; I was always getting into fights, but most of them were to defend others, and I guess no one ever really saw that side of things). I’ve only ever had my brother, and he’s only ever had me (or so I thought, I guess he had his exorcist friends since we were 13).  _ I wonder…  _ I think.  _ Could I make my first friend? _ I’m so distracted that I don’t notice my hand moving forward until I feel a zap of pain when I touch the gate.

“Ouch!” I yelp, cradling my hand to my chest as I try to figure out what happened. But before I can grasp any plausible explanation, the gate I just touched crashes to the ground. Loudly.

The girl in the garden turns toward the sound and notices me. We stare at each other for a moment, and I’m trying to come up with a lame explanation to convince her that it’s not my fault when she cries out. “Demon!” The poor girl is terrified, but now she has only made me annoyed.  _ Of course she had to use that word. Big surprise; everyone, including my own brother, uses that word to describe me. _

“Huh?” I’m wondering how she knows.  _ If _ she knows. “I’m not a demon!” I snap angrily.  _ Which is technically true, since I’m only half demon. Right? _

“But the gate of warding…” the girl whimpers, and it seems she doesn’t believe me, “it only reacts to demons!”  _ Warding? So it really did do that because of me? Crap! I actually did break it! _ “P-please don’t hurt me…” she begs. “Don’t come in!”

Okay, now she’s just being rude.  _ I don’t look that dangerous, do I? _ No matter how angry I am that she continues to call me by that word. “I’m not a demon!” I shout again. “Okay, so I’m not really human either,” I mutter, quieter, more to myself than the girl, but then I raise my voice again, “but don’t go deciding things like that!”

I suddenly notice that I have stepped into the girl’s garden. She has too. “Stay back!” she shrieks. She starts to crawl away. And promptly falls flat on her face.

I slowly approach her in the least menacing way possible. I’m not angry anymore. Instead, I’m concerned, worried that she might have hurt herself in her fall. “Hey, are you okay?” I ask. Then I notice. “What’s wrong with your legs?”

“How did I end up doing this again?” I wonder aloud as I replace the gate. I ended up becoming the girl’s assistant (temporary slave). My jacket and the Koma sword have been discarded, put somewhere safe, while I am letting my white shirt and pink skirt get as dirty as the girl’s kimono is. 

“Well, with the gate in the way, I couldn’t lay the manure,” says the girl, though I didn’t expect her to answer. “This is diluted cow manure, by the way,” she explains.

_ Man, that stinks! _ I think.  _ It’s horrible. The smell is making my eyes water. Has my sense of smell always been this acutely developed? This never would have bothered me as much as this a week ago. _

“But thank you!” She grins so sweetly at me.  _ Big contrast from calling me a demon earlier.  _ “With my legs like this, I was having a fair amount of trouble. It’s nice to have a little help!”

“What’s that supposed to mean? First you call me a demon, then you make me work for you…” I don’t actually mind working for her, I’m only pretending to be angry. I guess I do owe her a bit for breaking her gate. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes, truly remorseful as I kneel down next to her. “I was just taken aback, and…” She trails off. But she doesn’t need to say anything else. I understand perfectly what she’s getting at.

“Uh, well… it’s no big deal,” I say rather awkwardly, looking down and away from her.  _ I don’t know how to talk to other girls. Help. _ “I did sort of break your gate, after all…”

Suddenly there’s a hand in front of my face, and I look up to see the girl extending her open palm toward me in a gesture of peace. “Friends, then?” she asks with that angelic smile on her face. “I just didn’t know you were actually a nice person.”

“Huh?”  _ Friends? _ No one has ever said that word while referring to me.  _ And did she actually just call me a nice person? _ I can feel my face growing hot.  _ What do I do? I’ve never really talked to another girl before! Not like this! _ “I… I guess that’s okay…”

“Really? Thank goodness!” She looks so relieved. “My name is Shiemi Moriyama! What’s yours?”

“Rin Okumura.” I shake her hand before I realize that it’s still covered in cow poop from when she was mixing and laying it.  _ That’s so gross… I’m going to have to wash my hand twice to sanitize it properly…  _

“You know, this place…” Shiemi begins, and I get the feeling I’m suddenly in for a long story, “...it’s my Granny’s garden. Granny taught me all sorts of things right here in this garden… I love this garden, just like I love Granny…”  _ Great. Time for a tragic backstory. _ “But just last winter, Granny died in an accident. I’m sure… she’s gone on to the Amahara Garden ahead of me…”  _ Amahara Garden? What’s that? _ “I hope so…” She breaks out of her trance long enough to see my look of complete and utter confusion. “Oh! Erm… The Amahara Garden is a place where God gathered all the plants of the world all together,” she explains. “It’s hidden somewhere in this world, and if you go there, you can see all the different plants this world has to offer!” She seems really passionate about this. I can tell from how excited her voice is getting.

“Wow… The Amahara Garden, huh? I’m not so sure that I’m personally all that interested, but it sounds like a pretty nice place! You should go there!” And I do genuinely wish her the best of luck in realizing her dreams. 

“Ahaha!” she laughs. “I can’t do that… It’s a long story, after all. Besides, with my legs like this…” the rest goes unsaid. She can’t move with her legs the way they are now. She would need a wheelchair, and last I checked, a person can’t do gardening easily in one of those, let alone explore a garden that has every type of plant in it. “But if the Amahara Garden really does exist… If there really is a place where I could see all the plants and flowers and trees in the world… I’d love to go there…”

“Rin!” I hear my voice being called, and I look up to see my brother.  _ Looks like he’s done inside. _ He’s walking towards us with an older woman in a kimono who I can only assume is Shiemi’s mother. Other than Shiemi being much younger, she and the woman have nearly identical facial features. “Oh, dear… What on earth have you gotten yourself into now? I can’t leave you for a second…”  _ He really is turning into Dad… Seriously, it’s like I’m a little kid again.  _

“Oh, hey, Yukio!” I call, waving in his direction.

“Yuki!” Shiemi says in surprise. 

“‘Yuki’?” I ask.  _ First of all, that’s the cutest nickname I’ve ever heard for my brother and I’m very disappointed in myself for not coming up with it first. Second of all… _ “You two know each other?” Can’t say I saw that one coming. At least we’re all saved from having to introduce one another. But when I look at Shiemi, I see that she’s blushing a little bit.

“Yep,” he tells me. “She lives at this shop that I visit all the time, after all. Hello, Shiemi,” he greets my new friend.

“H-hello.” She seems nervous around him, but not the same nervousness as she seemed to feel around me when we first met. She’s not scared of him. No, this is much different, almost like… Then it dawns on me. She was blushing just a second ago, and now she’s looking away from him.  _ She likes him. _ It’s not quite obvious yet, so I’ll need a bit more evidence, but, probably thanks to my female senses (there are things that girls, including myself, just know), I’m almost positive.  _ Oh, this will be fantastic. Finally, some blackmail material.  _

“This is my older twin sister,” Yukio tells Shiemi, gesturing toward me. Okay, I guess we did need that one introduction. It is a somewhat important detail, after all. To me, anyway. But it’s like that with every older twin, isn’t it? We take pride in the extra couple of hours of life we have on our younger twin siblings. Even if my little brother is a lot taller than I am. It’s been like that forever. My dad told me that I was bigger at birth, though. 

“Huh?!” She turns to stare at me with a shocked expression for a few seconds before turning back to my twin. “ _You_ look like the older one!” she exclaims earnestly. 

“Yes, well, that’s an easy mistake to make.” Of course it is, he’s a lot taller than I am, and we don’t look much alike. “She is my older sister in name only.”

“Who’re you calling ‘in name only’?!” I protest.  _ The nerve of him! _

“Rin is a page, training to become an exorcist,” explains Yukio, ignoring my outburst. “She’s tagging along to watch me work.”

_ He’s ignoring me! I can’t believe him! _

“To watch?” Shiemi asks, clearly confused.

“Shiemi…” says the woman, who has, until now, been silently watching our exchange of introductions. “Let the nice man take a look at your legs.” It’s clear that she won’t take no for an answer. Wait, ‘man’? She sees Yukio as a man, an adult?  _ I know he’s tall and responsible and all, but he’s still only fifteen years old. We’re both still, technically, underage.  _

“Mother…?!”  _ So she is Shiemi’s mom, as I suspected. _ “I… I haven’t had anything to do with any…!”

“Will you let me take a look?” Yukio asks, polite as pie. “If I don’t find anything, then there’s no problem, is there? So just for a moment?”

“A-alright…” Blushing, Shiemi gives her permission.

“Thank you very much.” Yukio gives her a grateful smile. Then, as I watch, he professionally pushes up the hem of her kimono, just up to her knee, and I can only describe the long, twisted lumps on her legs as— “Roots,” says Yukio grimly. “This is a mashou. The work of a demon, no doubt about it.”

“I… It can’t be…” Shiemi stutters incredulously.

“Then Shiemi is…!” Her mother doesn’t even bother to finish that sentence. We all know what she’s thinking. 

“No, she is not being possessed,” Yukio reassures her. “This is not the work of a demon powerful enough to possess a human. It will have possessed one of the plants in this garden. A Dokkalfr, a Green Man, or perhaps an Ent… all are relatively weak demons. But this one seems to be reaching through the ground to Shiemi’s legs, and parasitically leaching from her heart. The demon itself is somewhere in this garden. Shiemi, demons can generally only find a way to invade humans’ hearts by talking to them. You must have spoken to this demon at some point. If you have any idea when it might have been, please, tell me.”

“I… I haven’t spoken to any demons…”

“Shiemi!” says her mother sternly. “You are to leave this garden at once!”

“Mother…”

“I don’t care how precious it may have been to your grandmother! This accursed garden… it cannot be worth your sacrificing your own health to stay here!” argues the mother vehemently.  _ She’s worried. I _

“‘Accursed garden…’?” Shiemi sounds appalled that her mother would say such a horrible thing. “This garden was Granny’s greatest treasure! I hate you, Mother!!” Suddenly, she collapses, unconscious.

“Shiemi!” Yukio yells.

“The effects may not be obvious, but she is actually having a large amount of her energy drained out through her legs.” We brought Shiemi to her room, and she is currently sleeping soundly in her bed. Actually, Yukio was the one who carried her all the way there and tucked her in carefully. Afterward, I retrieved my blazer and sword, and now Yukio is explaining things to Shiemi’s mother. “If the demon is not exorcised soon, her life may be in danger.” This isn’t the word of an indifferent exorcist. It sure doesn’t  _ sound _ like it, anyway. He sounds so… concerned, so caring. He doesn’t want to see her hurting like this, and somehow, that makes me happy. He’s turning into such a stick-in-the-mud, it’ll be good to see him maybe soften up a little like he used to be before high school. He had plenty of friends in middle school (even if they were among the nerds), but none of them are here and I worry he might have trouble making new friends, especially now that he’s a teacher and won’t have time to socialize. I'm glad Shiemi's his friend, though.

“I still don’t know what’s wrong with her, sleeping in this place…” her mother sighs in exasperation. “This is the storehouse where her grandmother used to live. Ever since her grandmother died, she has been shutting herself away in here, and spending all her time tending to the garden. And it’s since then that her legs started deteriorating, as well… It reminds me of her grandmother— she had bad legs too. Why is this happening…?”  _ Her grandmother had bad legs as well? Something tells me that this is no coincidence. _ “Whenever I try to broach the subject, she gets like that, and we end up fighting. I’m a failure as a mother…” I’m sure she’s not a failure. Even a mother whose children have never met her, like mine and Yukio’s, is not a failure as a mother. After all, Shiemi’s mother brought a beautiful child into this world, didn’t she? I don’t imagine that’s an easy or painless thing to do. And to raise such a sweet girl with a passion for gardening like that takes effort, no doubt. 

This thing stops now. This parasitic demon… this feud between Shiemi and her mother…  _ This whole thing is so troublesome, and if my brother will do nothing about it, then  _ I _ will do something. _

I reach Shiemi’s shed just as she’s waking up from what seems like a nightmare. It doesn’t seem like she’s noticed me yet. “You okay?” I ask, speaking just loud enough to get her attention.

She gasps in shock, finally seeing me in her doorway. “Rin…”

“Hey,” I greet her. “Your mother is worried about you, you know.”

“Wh… why… do you have to be like that…?” she says, like she can’t believe that I’d say something like that about her mother. “It’s Mother who’s being horrible! I decided… that I was going to protect this garden… to protect Granny’s garden!”

_ Protect it, huh? Let’s see how well she can do that as she is now. _ Slinging Kurikara off my back and turning, I head back into the garden, staying in the line of sight of the door and making sure that Shiemi can see me.  _ Let’s see… _ I think, searching.  _ Ah, perfect. _ With all my strength, I swing Kurikara like a blunt weapon, right into a flower bed, destroying it.

“Wh… What are you doing?” Shiemi yells from her bed. “Stop that!” I continue smashing things in her precious garden. I hear a thump, followed by dragging sounds. “Stop it!” she screams desperately. I feel a tug on the hem of my skirt and I look down to see her kneeling at my feet.

“What is it?!” I demand. “What’s holding you down like this?!”

“I… I just… If… if I just hadn’t stayed out so late… If I’d just stayed home, and helped Granny with the grapes… she wouldn’t have died! It’s my fault that Granny died!”  _ This girl… she’s the same as me…  _ “That’s why I’ve got to protect her garden!”

_ She’s just blaming herself for it all…  _ She blames herself for her grandmother’s death, like I blame myself for my father’s comatose condition. “In that case,” I say, kneeling down and grabbing the front of her kimono so that I’m making eye contact with her, “at least make sure you don’t make your mother worry like this! If you can’t do that, then give it up! And besides, what is it you really want to do?! You want to find the Amahara Garden, right?! Or do you think that Granny of yours would tell you not to go?!”

“N-no… She wouldn’t…” Shiemi has tears in her eyes now. Maybe I was a little harsh on her just now, but she needed a reality check. Only now do I realize how close our faces are to one another. I’m holding her up, but now she collapses into my arms and sobs loudly into my chest. “She wouldn’t…” She wails in despair. “I’m… so stupid… My legs won’t move anymore!”

“Then I’ll tear these dumb roots to shreds for you!” I promise angrily (I’m not angry at her, I’m angry at the roots for what they’ve done to her and her family), pulling her into a protective hug.

“Sorry to interrupt you at such an emotional moment…” says a very familiar voice, and I look to my left to see my brother, just standing there watching us. “But I can get rid of a little demon like that in no time.”

“Brother!” I nearly shout in surprise as I break apart from Shiemi. “When did you…?!”

But of course, I am ignored yet again. “Shiemi, your legs will be able to move again,” he says, smiling kindly. “All that I needed was for you to settle your own heart.”

“Yuki…” She blushes. 

“You’re going to break our promise…?” The sinister voice seems to come from nowhere, startling us all. “Unforgivable…”

“Eh?!” Shiemi turns frantically, trying to find the source of the voice, but then something happens. I can’t quite explain it, but her legs sort of grow, merging with each other and the ground, almost like actual roots. She screams. And then, as whatever has her transforms into a giant flower with her as its stem, she falls unconscious. 

“Shiemi!” I yell, standing up. 

“We will be together forever…” says the flower demon holding her. So this is what the thing looks like. “Together forever in this garden…” It laughs in what I assume it thinks is a menacing way, but it’s nowhere near the caliber of Satan’s laughter. With his, I was scared (granted, I didn’t really have the form or powers I have now, and his presence was rather unexpected). This one, though, regardless, almost sounds like a bad joke, a stupid, cheap imitation. 

“The demon is using her as a shield…” says Yukio, who is beside me. “Sister…”

“Yes, brother?”

“Could you help me out with this?”

_ Oh my gosh. _ “Really?!” I would be more than happy to. “Just tell me what to do!” I rip Kurikara from its sheath, and suddenly I am covered by blue flames. I think my ears have lengthened, and I’m pretty sure that my tail is no longer wrapped under my shirt. Instead, it flows freely behind me, and I think I can feel the presence of a flame on the end of it. 

“At any rate, you don’t have to pay any attention to what I’m doing,” he tells me. 

“You’re a demon?!” the other demon asks me incredulously. But I ignore it. 

“Just keep that demon occupied!” Yukio orders me. 

“Gotcha!” I say, charging forward. 

“Hey!” yells the demon. “Don’t you dare ignore me!” As I come in closer, about to slice that thing to pieces, it laughs, making sure that Shiemi is in front of it.  _ Right. Human shield. _ “If you think you can slice me, go ahead and try! Just as long as you don’t mind having some lovely bloody gashes on this girl as well!”

_ Crap! It’s painted me into a corner!  _ I pull back behind the demon. “What do we do, Yukio?!” I shout back at my brother. 

“There’s nothing for it…” he says hopelessly. But also resolutely, as if there’s only one option. Then I hear the clicking sounds behind me.  _ He’s loading his gun, _ I realize too late. “I’ll just have to shoot the both of them.”

“Huh?!” _ Is he crazy?! _ But apparently, he’s serious. His gun is pointed straight at them. 

“Ahahah!” laughs the demon. “You’re bluffing! But you’re not going to trick us!” He doesn’t think that Yukio’s serious. 

“Oh, you think so?”  _ He’s really going to shoot them both.  _ “I suppose you could be right… Then again, you could not…”

“Filthy exorcist! You couldn’t possibly shoot—”

Yukio shoots. The bullet goes through Shiemi’s left arm and into the demon behind her. 

“Yukio!” I can’t believe he would do that. He just shot her! He didn’t even hesitate to do so! But it had the desired effect on the demon. With a cry of pain, it separates from Shiemi’s body. 

“It’s let her go!” Yukio shouts. “Rin!”

That’s my cue to take down what’s left of the demon, I suppose. “I’m not forgiving you for this!” I scream as I charge at the demon once more, sword at the ready. With a single stroke, I slice the demon neatly in half. “Yukio!” I yell, sheathing my sword and spinning around, my objective complete. I’m surprised to find him with her in his arms, bridal style. He must have caught her when she fell. That look in his eyes is back.  _ Oh my goodness, that’s so heroic and romantic-looking that I wish I had a camera so I can tease him later about it.  _

“Ah… Yuki…” Shiemi groans, waking up. 

“Thank goodness.” He breathes a sigh of relief. I’m happy she’s okay now. “The roots are gone from your legs. You should be able to stand now.” He sets her gently on the ground, so that she’s standing on her own two feet. She’s wobbly, but she can support herself. 

“Shiemi!” Suddenly there’s her mother, standing here. 

“Mother…”

“Just go to her,” I say, putting my hand on her back and giving her a gentle push toward her mother. She stumbles forward a little, then looks at me questioningly. “Go ahead and apologize. If you don’t do it now, you’re going to really regret it.” I hate that I know from experience.  _ I’m so, so sorry, Dad. I might never get a chance for him to hear my apology, if he never wakes up.  _

Shiemi doesn’t say a word to me, but I know she listened. She turns back to her mother and takes a few tentative steps forward. My guess is she hasn’t walked in a while, so she’s still a bit weak. “Moth—”

She’s cut off by her mother’s embrace. “You stupid, stupid girl!” her mother wails, sobbing. “I was so worried!” 

“Mother… I’m so sorry…!”

I’m happy that Shiemi is making up with her mother now. But the fact that she was shot, and is now perfectly fine, confuses me. “Brother,” I say. “What was in that gun?”

“Nutrients,” he answers simply. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me… I was so worried! Tch!” I exhale. “Well, whatever.”  _ At least I was able to help him. But… why does it feel like it was the other way around? _ “It’s nice, huh?” I ask as I watch Shiemi and her mother. “This sort of thing…”

I didn’t have someone to save me when I was going through a tough time after my dad’s death. I was alone, as always. But the least I can do is be there for other people when they need a hero, or a shoulder to cry on, or someone to pull them out of their own head and give them the power they need to actually start living life the way we were meant to. If I can do anything to help people do things that would make their deceased loved ones proud, I will do it. We can’t change the past, or bring people back from the dead, but we can live each and every day to the fullest, while honoring and respecting those who have died before us. I want to save people who are in peril, give them a chance at life again, and prove that the half-demon offspring of Satan  _ can _ be good, that, despite coming from such an evil source, I refuse to repeat the evil deeds of my biological father.

The next day in cram school, we have a new classmate.

“Pleased to meet you all!” says the angel-faced Shiemi Moriyama.

There are plenty of empty seats around the room, but she chooses to sit at the one right next to me. “Wh… what are you doing here?” I ask in surprise. And I am definitely surprised to see her.

“Rin!” she greets me happily. “Mr. Okumura asked the chairman to let me join the class specially,” she explains. “So I guess we’re going to be classmates! I don’t know anything about the world, and I’m weak, too. So I thought first of all I should train myself up here!”

She’s trembling like a leaf, though. “Are you okay? You seem to be shaking like crazy… I’m amazed you even made it here like that!”

“It’s all thanks to you!” She smiles at me like the angel she is. “Thank you so much!”

I blush when she says that, embarrassed that she’d say something to praise me like this (no one outside the monastery where I grew up has ever done that), but I’m secretly happy that she did. I look away and stammer, “I… I don’t really…”  _ Come on, I didn’t do anything to deserve the gratitude of this sunshine garden child next to me! _

“Besides,” continues Shiemi with pink cheeks, “I wanted to see Yuki as a teacher as well!”

_ I knew it! She  _ does _ like him! This is fantastic! _ My eyes dart up to my brother, and I’m delighted to see that he’s also slightly blushing.  _ Well, at least he’s not totally oblivious.  _

Yukio clears his throat. “Let’s start the lesson, shall we?” he says, his voice cracking a little at the end. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

On the third day of cram school, we have a new classmate. Mr. Okumura introduces her as Shiemi Moriyama. She’s a small, cute, blonde girl who wears a kimono rather than the school uniform, so obviously she’s not a student of the regular school, but there will always be people like her, the transfer students. She seems nice, but also weak. I wonder what she can do. _Is she a tamer? Can she use weapons? Is she a healer?_ It’s hard to tell.

She has plenty of seating options, but chooses to sit right next to the tall black-haired beauty in the front. “Wh… what are you doing here?” the black-haired girl asks in surprise.  _ Another person she knows? _ I realize that this is the first time I’ve actually heard her voice, and it’s as beautiful as the rest of her. Her voice is deep and regal, one that could easily command respect. 

“Rin!” Moriyama greets her happily.  _ So her name is Rin. I like it. It suits her. _ “Mr. Okumura asked the chairman to let me join the class specially,” she explains. “So I guess we’re going to be classmates! I don’t know anything about the world, and I’m weak, too. So I thought first of all I should train myself up here!”  _ Did this girl grow up under a rock? _

She’s trembling like a leaf, though. “Are you okay?” Rin asks in concern, noticing her friend’s condition. “You seem to be shaking like crazy… I’m amazed you even made it here like that!”

“It’s all thanks to you!” She smiles so brightly at Rin. “Thank you so much!”

Rin blushes when she says that, as if no one had ever thanked her before. She looks away, fortunately in my direction (but not directly at me), and I can see her embarrassment.  _ She’s so cute!  _ She manages to stammer, “I… I don’t really…” 

“Besides,” continues Moriyama, “I wanted to see Yuki as a teacher as well!”

_ Yuki? Is that supposed to refer to Mr. Okumura? What kind of relationship does Mr. Okumura have with these girls? First Rin has a history with him, and I still don’t know what that’s about, then it turns out that this little blonde chick, Moriyama, knows him as well. _

Rin’s eyes dart up to our teacher, and I can see that she’s amused that he’s slightly blushing. At least one thing is clear, though. Rin knows Mr. Okumura on a more personal level than I originally thought. And… I have a small hunch that my theory about them being lovers might be off just a bit, but I don’t know by how much. One thing’s for certain, though. I’ve seen this sort of behavior before. But by whom? And when?

Mr. Okumura clears his throat. “Let’s start the lesson, shall we?” he says, his voice cracking a little at the end. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cram school kids learn the truth of Rin and Yukio’s relationship. Also, Ryuuji does something very dumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I want to thank everyone for all the kudos and comments I’m getting on this fic! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

Rin POV:

Okay, so I am not the best student in my cram school classes. But can I help that it’s so boring? I’m not good at taking notes, but even though I really do try to pay attention and study, my grades aren’t doing so great. 

But is that any really any indication that I’m not trying? Does that really mean it’s okay for that rebellious guy with the weird dyed hair (he looks like an actual rooster with that blond mohawk of his) and multiple piercings (he has no fewer than four earrings in each ear) to make rude comments about me?

“What’s with that girl? Why is she even here?” I hear him comment to his pink-haired and bald-headed buddies one day. My middle-school self would have picked a fight with the guy, but my high-school self ignores him as I convince myself that it’s not worth it. Besides, now that Yukio is no longer a wimpy crybaby (or has he been acting these last few years?), I want to change my image and be responsible in his eyes. 

But then, when Yukio’s class rolls around, and he passes back the results of a test we’ve taken, I have a 40% and a disappointed brother. When rooster-boy, I learn his name is Ryuuji Suguro, walks by to collect his test, he scoffs. 

“40%, huh? I couldn’t get a score that bad even if I tried.” He glares at me with plenty of hostility. “Try studying instead of prettying yourself up and flirting with your boyfriend all the time.”

“Huh?” I send him a glare of my own.  _ What makes him think I have a boyfriend? Who could he possibly think I’m in a relationship with? He doesn’t see me outside of cram school. I don’t even understand how any of what I do is his business. And why do I detect a hint of jealousy in his voice? _ It takes me a few seconds to realize that he called me pretty.  _ But I don’t focus on my looks all that much. All I do is shower and brush my hair. _ My face is burning and my heart is pounding.  _ Why is that getting to me? What is this feeling? _ But I do my best to remain calm and collected and annoyed. It’s surprisingly not hard at all, with the way he’s talking. 

“I mean, seriously! How much time do you spend on your hair and makeup each morning?! Thirty minutes? An hour?”  _ Ok, he needs to watch it with that condescending tone right now.  _

“For your information,” I growl at Suguro, “I don’t own or wear makeup, you sexist  _ pig _ . The only hair product I use is a brush. But you’re right about it taking a while; not all of us are fortunate enough to get out of bed with perfect hair like yours!” 

He goes slack-jawed as he stares at me.  _ Was he expecting a different answer from me? I’m just being honest about it.  _ “Suguro,” interrupts my brother, “perhaps you’d like to collect your test? Or I can throw it away, if you do not wish to see your score.”  _ Dang, brother. Trust you to pull the teacher card, huh? Although, I guess you can, since you actually are our teacher…  _ Suddenly I realize in complete mortification that I just essentially admitted that I liked Suguro’s hair, and my face feels hot all over again.  _ Oh god… I didn’t mean to do that… It just kinda slipped out. Let’s just hope he didn’t notice.  _

Suguro finally breaks out of his trance and collects his test while Yukio congratulates him on his score. For a moment, though, I think I see Yukio whisper something very quietly to Suguro. Suguro flinches, but as he walks past me again, he flashes me a smug grin and turns his test around so I can see the score.  _ 98 percent! _ My jaw drops. 

_ Not possible… That can’t possibly be real!  _ “No way… A guy with an attitude like yours, getting a 98 percent… That just doesn’t happen!”

“What was that?” he yells angrily, his smirk disappearing. “Listen, you wanna know why I come to these classes? To do some serious studying and earn the right to call myself an exorcist! It’s not just me, either: everyone here is serious about becoming an exorcist! And ditsy, busty girls like you should just get out of our sight!”

_ Wow, this guy’s really serious. And he thinks I’m not? _ “What gives you the right to say that, stripe-head?” I shout back at him. “I’m working towards being an exorcist, same as everyone else!”

“I haven’t seen you pay proper attention to a single lesson! You just zone out through every class!”  _ I do not! _ “And yet you still seem to get special treatment from Mr. Okumura! He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he? Or maybe he just favors you because you’re hot!” His friends are restraining him now, but he doesn’t look like he wants to fight. No, he looks more like he wants nothing more than to run away. 

“First of all, I’m more of a practical person! Fat load of good trying to learn does me if it’s not firsthand experience! And get that ‘boyfriend’ stuff out of your head, Yukio and I are not incestuous! He  _ is  _ my twin brother, after all!” Said brother has my arms locked behind my back in his own, as if he thinks he can hold me back if I really wanted to get out.  _ Think again, little brother. You’re not strong enough. No one is strong enough to restrain me if I’m having a good day. Heck, no one is strong enough to restrain me even if I’m having a  _ bad _ day.  _

The entire room goes silent for a few seconds as everyone (except Shiemi, who already knows) processes this information. The silence is broken by Yukio addressing Suguro, before it gets awkward. 

“Yes, yes, excellent points,” Yukio prompts Suguro. I can hear the smile through his words as he speaks, urging Suguro to continue calling me out on my apparent laziness. “Please, carry on, let’s hear it.” I wonder why he isn’t saying anything about Suguro’s accusations of our incest. Or that—  _ wait a minute. He called me hot. Guys don’t do that. Ever. _ While I can admit to myself, when I look in the mirror, I look mighty fine, no guy has ever said those words to me. Not even the guys at the monastery (they  _ have  _ called me beautiful before, but in a fatherly or uncle-ish way).  _ Is that why he looked like he wanted to run away earlier? Was he embarrassed by what he said? But that’s not the issue right now. It’s Yukio. _ He’s holding me here so that Suguro can freely call me out on my laziness. 

I rip my arms free and round on him accusingly. “Whose side are you on?!”

He looks at me way too innocently. “An excellent question…”

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

“I haven’t seen you pay proper attention to a single lesson!” I yell at Rin. I shouldn’t be getting so worked up, but my emotions are running high right now. “You just zone out through every class!” I have never seen her take notes, not once. “And yet you still seem to get special treatment from Mr. Okumura! He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he? Or maybe he just favors you because you’re hot!” I’ve almost given up on the theory that they are or were lovers, but not yet. There have been a few moments during and after class that they really seem to care for one another. Now is the time for them to come clean.  _ Just what is their relationship?  _ A few moments pass before I realize what I just called her. But I can’t run away, because Shima and Konekomaru have their arms around my body, restraining me, probably to prevent me from fighting her. Although, she’s the one who looks more likely than I am to punch something right now, and my friends just turned me into the perfect punching bag, ready for a beating. To be honest, I am terrified right now. Mr. Okumura warned me, when he returned my test that, regarding Rin, I shouldn’t say or do anything I’ll regret later. And I just blatantly ignored his advice, like the idiot I always am around her.  _ Oh, god, what’ll she say about my calling her hot? I mean, she definitely is, and she probably gets told so all the time, so I’m sure she knows it, but how is she going to react? _

“First of all,” Rin retorts angrily, “I’m more of a practical person! Fat load of good trying to learn does me if it’s not firsthand experience!” She looks feral, ready to attack, but now Mr. Okumura is restraining her, so I feel a bit safer. But only a little bit, even if she also doesn’t seem to notice that I find her attractive, another area in which I’m safe from her. Mr. Okumura has her arms pinned behind her back, so she can’t move, and since he’s a good deal larger than she is, she shouldn’t be able to get free. But, terrified as I am, I’m kind of jealous of the fact that he’s holding her. “And get that ‘boyfriend’ stuff out of your head, Yukio and I are not incestuous!” Rin continues to yell at me. She’s still really scary, even held back like this.  _ Wait, incestuous? They’re related somehow?  _ “He  _ is  _ my twin brother, after all!”

Her words hit me harder than a punch to the gut, effectively stunning me.  _ Twin. Mr. Okumura is her twin brother.  _ I think the only one not surprised is Moriyama. There really isn’t much of a resemblance, if any, between Rin and Mr. Okumura. Black hair versus brown, no moles on her face versus moles and glasses on his, dark blue versus light blue eyes, and the height difference. The fact that they’re siblings, let alone twins, had never even occurred to me. I didn’t even consider the fact that they might be related in any way. They must be fraternal twins, then, for there to be such a difference in their appearances. Not to mention she has tapered ears and fangs while his ears and teeth are perfectly normal for a human (it’s clear he’s not half demon, at least, while she probably is with those features).  _ Moron. I’m an absolute moron. That’s why he only calls her by her first name, why she gets special treatment. And I grew up seeing this kind of sibling dynamic with Shima and his siblings. Why didn’t I realize it before when I saw it? Should I just call her Okumura, then?  _ The entire room is silent for a few seconds before Mr. Okumura speaks up.

“Yes, yes, excellent points,” he tells me, referring to my calling out his sister on her laziness. “Please, carry on, let’s hear it.”

I’ve never seen Okumura look more betrayed than she does now. She easily ( _ too _ easily, it seems) breaks free and rounds on our teacher. “Whose side are you on?!” she demands, as if he were a traitor. 

The look he gives her looks way too innocent to actually be innocent. “An excellent question…”   
  


Rin POV:

“Alright, that’s all the time we have for today!” Yukio announces, and we all leave the classroom. 

“What’s with that guy…?” I grumble aloud to myself as I walk outside with Shiemi and my twin. “Is he smart?”

“He’s a prodigy,” answers Yukio. “He’s attending the academy on a scholarship, just like me. He and I are in the same advanced class, actually.”

_ Of course he is, _ I think glumly as my brother leaves me and Shiemi so he can go do whatever it is he does nowadays. She and I sit together on a bench, unsure of what else to do other than enjoy the afternoon. 

We sit in awkward silence for a minute before she speaks. “Rin…”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t really belong here at all, do I?”  _ What’s bothering her? _

“Oh, that’s right,” I remember. “You’re not trying to become an exorcist or anything. But that’s no big deal, is it? I mean, everyone’s different.”

“Rin…”  _ Did I guess wrong? _ “Do you have any friends?”  _ I guessed wrong. _

“Huh?” I’m taken aback by her question. Of course I don’t. I have her and Yukio, and that’s it. 

“Rin, would you…” Suddenly her face is very close to mine. Both of my hands are being held by hers.

“Well, well, well,” says a familiar voice behind me, and I know exactly who it is. “Look who’s having a fine time of it!”

“A fine wh— mmph!” My head whips around so fast that my long hair wraps around my head and muffles my words. I struggle to fix it so it falls down in front of me on my right side.  _ Suguro. Big shock. _ But I’m still thrown off by his comment.

“Who’s the blondie?” Suguro taunts. “Your girlfriend? Are you the butch? I never thought you were gay.”

_ Gay?! _ “You’ve got it wrong! We’re not together like that! Look, I might be pan, but I don’t see her that way!” Ever since puberty, I’ve started noticing that I find everyone attractive. I did research, and found out that I’m what is called pansexual, attracted to people regardless of gender. Meanwhile, Yukio never gave any indication that he was interested in anyone. He once asked me what sexual attraction is like, on the day I came out to him. When I told him, he went very quiet. Then, finally, he told me that he’s never experienced that while looking at anyone. Therefore, we diagnosed him with ‘asexual’ with a little help from the internet. But getting back to Suguro.  _ Is that relief I see in his eyes? Why is he relieved? _ I don’t have enough time to care, because I’m not done. “What is it with you and accusing me of being in relationships with others?”

“Oh? So what is your relationship with her? Are you just friends?” That stupid grin makes its way to his face again, as if he's expecting a certain answer.

“Actually,” says Shiemi quietly, and I look at her. “I was about to ask you that myself, Rin. Are we friends?”

_ How could she ask that? _ “Of course you and I are friends, Shiemi! Yukio is your friend too! Don’t you dare believe anyone who says otherwise!” I look over to Suguro, and his two friends behind him. “And what about you?” I demand. “Never going anywhere without those cronies of yours. What, can’t handle yourself without your boyfriends? You’re just pathetic!”  _ Hey, I figure if he can play the gay card, so can I.  _

My words hang in the air for a tense moment, but then the pink haired boy next to Suguro starts snickering.

“Hey! This isn’t funny!” Suguro shouts at him. 

“No, she’s right,” the pink-haired guy laughs. “We’re not boyfriends, but we  _ are _ always together…”

“Whose side are you on?!” For some reason, Suguro’s words sound very familiar.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” I scream as I run around the arena. Suguro is behind me, trying to keep up. He’s pretty fast, I’ll give him that, but I’m faster.  _ Hey, when a gigantic demon toad called a leaper is chasing you, you get out of dodge, right? _ Except, and I don’t know how, we have turned this exercise into a race. I can’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction, though.  _ You can be as smart as you like, Suguro, but it’s not always going to help you in the real world! I’m still faster than you!  _ A thought pops into my head, about what an insignificant human he is compared to my superior demonic heritage. True, I’m not a hundred percent demon, but even when I thought I was completely human, I was superior to everyone else in terms of physical strength, stamina, and speed. 

I suddenly feel an impact on my back as Suguro cuts through the space in between the leaper and the column it’s attached to by a chain, and kicks me to the ground out of spite. Somehow, and I’m thankful for this, he misses hitting my sensitive tail, which is curled up beneath the sweatshirt I stole from Yukio’s closet (but we share almost all our clothes anyway, so it’s not really a big deal). It still hurts, though, and I gasp in pain and shock as I tumble away from him. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win!” he shouts as his foot makes contact with my body. But that was a mistake, because just as I was easy prey for him, now he’s easy prey for the leaper. Or, at least he would be, had our instructor not pulled the demon back to the column it’s tied to at the last second using its chain. 

“What on earth are you two playing at?” our teacher, Mr. Tsubaki, demands. “Are you trying to kill yourselves?!”

I get up, wheezing and in pain. “What… was that for?”

“I didn’t want to lose to you,” he answers, panting heavily himself, “even if it kills me…”

_ That idiot! He’s going to get himself killed one of these days if he insists on taking down his comrades so he doesn’t “lose to them!” _

“I told you already, this is not a race! This is training to help you get used to dealing with demons’ movements!” Tsubaki storms down to the arena, where Suguro and I are glaring daggers at one another, teeth bared savagely. “What on earth is your problem?!” he demands, stomping toward us. He grabs my wrist and pulls me away from Suguro. I don’t bother trying to resist. 

Meanwhile, Suguro’s bald and pink-haired friends have come down to the arena as well and are pulling him in the opposite direction. “Sorry ‘bout this!” the pink-haired one apologizes for his friend. Somehow, we make it back up to the observation area just above the arena before the lecture starts.

“Suguro! Come with me for a moment!” Tsubaki instructs him sternly.

“Okay…” Suguro’s friends and I watch as our instructor leads him away.

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

“Suguro! Come with me for a moment!” Tsubaki instructs me sternly. 

“Okay…” I follow him to a corner of the observation deck and he begins his lecture. 

“You’re an excellent student,” he tells me. “All the core subject teachers are expecting a lot from you.”

“Right…” I kind of see where he’s going with this. 

“So I think it would be prudent not to start causing trouble, yes?”

“Um…” While he does have a point, there’s still something I don’t get. “Why are you only giving me this lecture? That girl, Okumura, was…”

“Ah, well,” he cuts me off, “it seems she’s something of a special case, entered into the academy by Sir Pheles himself. You’d do well not to associate with her too much.”

He lets me go after that.  _ Special, huh? _ I study her from a distance for a moment before heading over to the rest of our group. She’s talking to Shima and Koneko. I wonder what they’re talking about.  _ She’s definitely special, but probably not in the way I imagine. Clearly there’s something bigger going on here than just her wanting to become an exorcist. She has a secret, and I want to know what it is. _ But something tells me it might be a little while before I do find out. So I just follow the teacher back to the group.

  
  


Rin POV:

“Why’s it just him…?” I wonder aloud as I watch Tsubaki lead Suguro away and begin his lecture.

“Who knows…” murmurs the pink-haired guy from behind me.

I still can’t believe he would kick someone who is on his side to the ground like that (literally). “What’s wrong with him, anyway…?” I say sourly.

“Forgive him for that, yeah?” I turn to see Pinky talking to me. “He may not look it, but Bon takes everything so seriously, he can get real worked up over little stuff like this. He joined this place with a crazy ambition, you see…” _So_ _Suguro’s nickname is Bon? First of all, that’s really cute, and second of all, there’s got to be a story behind that one._ But one word that Pinky says sticks out. 

“Ambition?”  _ Come to think of it, I’ve kinda got a crazy ambition as well. The daughter of Satan, trying to become an exorcist so she can beat the crap out of her biological father. _ _ Ok, that sounds really messed up when I actually think the words… But no ambition Suguro has could possibly top that in craziness, right? _

“Bon, you see, is aiming to become an exorcist so that he can ‘defeat Satan himself.’” Pinky explains.  _ Okay, so it really does top mine in craziness, if only because he’s just a human. What could a simple human exorcist do against Satan? At least I inherited his power! At least I have a chance of beating my demonic father! With enough training, I will be able to get strong enough to do so! What does Suguro have that could defeat Satan?! And how is it that someone, especially one as uptight as Suguro, has the same ambition as I do?! Is he actually insane, or just stupid?!  _ “Ahahaha! Crazy, right?” Pinky laughs.

_ I guess it is a little laughable… Even Mephisto laughed when I told him…  _

“Shima, you can’t laugh…!” little Baldy scolds Pinky. So I guess Pinky’s name is Shima? Alright then.

“Our temple was ruined in the Blue Night, you know…” says Baldy. “All Bon’s doing is trying to rebuild it!”

“‘Blue Night’?” I ask. “What’s that?” For my dad being in charge of the monastery where I grew up, I sure haven’t been told a lot of things regarding religious/demonic origins/events.

“Huh?” says Shima.

“You don’t know?” asks Baldy. They’re both giving me blank looks.  _ Obviously I don’t know, or I wouldn’t be asking! _

“Wow, that’s a rarity…”

“The Blue Night,” explains Baldy solemnly, “refers to a day sixteen years ago, when Satan murdered a huge number of the world’s greatest holy men. Our temple was among the victims.” Wait, what?  _ Murdered a huge number of… Oh my god.  _ “The two of us are apprentices of Bon’s father, the temple’s Most High Priest. And from what the Most High Priest told us, on that night, sixteen years ago, all the powerful exorcists of the temple, including the previous Most High Priest, suddenly started shedding blood from all over their bodies and breathing blue flames as they died, one after another…”  _ Does Baldy even know how horrible this sounds? Well, he probably does… he’s probably been hearing this story since he was a little kid… _

“Blue flames being the mark of Satan, of course,” explains Shima.  _ Really? _ I think sarcastically.  _ I thought my flames were green. Guess I must be color blind.  _ But I keep my expression interested and horrified at their story. 

“Our own High Priest, who was just a monk-in-training back then, sat crouched in a corner of the holy hall, praying, for the whole length of the night. Afterwards, he took over the temple himself, but everyone was creeped out by the way all those monks had suddenly died on the same day, and we lost a lot of worshippers and pilgrims. Before long, the place was known as the ‘cursed temple’. The place was ruined before Bon was even old enough to walk and talk…” Baldy concludes almost sorrowfully.

“Ah, looks like they’re back,” says Shima. “You know, Okumura, we could talk later if you want… just the two of us… I could buy you dinner…” he offers, edging a little closer to me. 

“Huh?” I barely heard him. I’m still mulling over the story as Suguro and our instructor come back. “What would you want to talk with  _ me _ about? And by the way, my name is Rin, so use it.” I hate being called by my last name. There’s been a lot of confusion in the past, when both Yukio and I would respond to ‘Okumura’ at the same time. 

But Shima’s answer is interrupted. “Time to get back to work!” Or so Tsubaki tells us, right before he gets a phone call. “What is it, honey? … Say what? … Right now? Oh, what would you do without me, kitten?”  _ Well, that was a disturbing conversation. _ “Everyone!” he announces to the whole class. “We’re going to be taking a short break!”

“Huh?!” Suguro demands.

“... Did he just say ‘kitten’?” Shima asks no one. No one answers him.

“Now, listen up! The leaper is ordinarily a relatively docile demon, but it has the nasty habit of reading people’s minds and attacking! Until I get back, every one of you is to stay up here, well out of the range of the leaper’s chain! Got that?!” He doesn’t even wait for our answer. “If that’s clear, then I’m off! I’ll be right there, kitten…!” he calls as he runs off. 

“And he calls himself a teacher!” Suguro says angrily. “I thought True Cross Academy was supposed to be a sacred place of learning, full of people who took their studies seriously…” He glares at me in particular. “And don’t even get me started on the students!”

“What was that?!” I know I shouldn’t take the bait, but I do. I can’t help it. “You know, you sure are running your mouth off today! What makes you think I don’t take this stuff seriously?”

“The way you act in class!”

“Here they go again,” Shima’s voice groans behind Suguro. Shima’s voice is ignored. Shima tries again, addressing Suguro directly now. “Bon… you’re acting pretty immature… That’s not really the correct way to treat a lady…” Yeah,  _ where’s _ a lady? Unless he’s talking about Shiemi or either of the other girls, but they’re not a part of this. All three of them are trying to stay as far out of this as they can.

“Cut her a break, yeah, Bon?” Baldy contributes. 

“You two stay out of this!” Suguro snaps at his friends. “Hey, I know,” he says, addressing me again, “why don’t you prove to me that you’re serious about becoming an exorcist, then!” Suguro challenges me. 

“Huh?”  _ What’s he getting at here? How can I prove anything? _

“That guy,” he says, pointing at the demon below. “Move right up close to the leaper, and if you can touch it and make it back without getting attacked, you win. The leaper’s an interesting sort of demon. It looks into the eyes of the people around it, reads their emotions. If it picks up any fear, sadness, anger, apprehension… basically, any kind of agitation, then it moves in for the attack. In other words, as long as you stay calm, it won’t do a thing. If you’re planning on becoming a real exorcist, then you shouldn’t be getting all scared over a little thing like a leaper, right? I’ll do it too, and I’ll win! If you make it back without being attacked as well, then I’ll accept that you’ve got some proper resolve in you! How about it?! You gonna do it, or what?”

Alright, he’s had his little speech, but it’s my turn now. “Sounds pretty interesting,” I smirk. “But I’m not going to do it.”

“Huh?!” Seems he really expected me to take the bait. Too bad. 

“I mean, what if I screwed up and really got myself killed?”  _ It’s not like I can use my sword, I’ll just be advertising exactly who I’m related to. And, given what Suguro’s friends told me about his background, I’m not sure that the fact that I’m Satan’s daughter would go over so well with him. And if I don’t use my sword and flames, I’m pretty sure I actually will end up getting myself killed because of his little challenge. _ “I’m not stupid. I’ve got ambitions, just like you do, after all. I can’t go risking my life on a stupid little thing like this.”

He opens his mouth to say something, then realizes what I just said. He glares over his shoulder at his friends. “You told her, didn’t you…”

“No,” they say, not very convincingly. 

He turns back to me, angry that I didn’t accept his challenge, and yells, “You’re just scared, aren’t you?! Why don’t you fight?! Aren’t you bitter at all?!”  _ Bitter about what? _ When I don’t respond, he scoffs. “Well, I’m gonna do it!” Suguro declares. “So you just stand there and watch, coward!”

“Hey,” I say warningly, “you shouldn’t…” I don’t even bother to finish that sentence as he slides down the slanted edge of the observation area, into the arena. I realized pretty quickly that there is nothing I can say that will dissuade him. Behind me, I hear various protests, but I ignore them. I’m completely focused on the reckless boy in the arena, about to throw away his life for nothing. 

“I’m… I’m gonna defeat Satan!” he says resolutely as he confidently approaches the minor demon. I hear laughter behind me, but I don’t join in. Because to defeat Satan… that’s also my ambition. Suddenly, and I don’t know how, but I sense something is about to go wrong. Suguro told me that as long as you stay calm, the leaper won’t attack you. From what I can tell, Suguro is confident, but he is in no way calm. 

Without thinking, I move an instant before the demon does. I take a running leap off the edge of the observation area, falling to the ground, and moving fast enough so that I’m between the demon and the boy when it moves to strike. My body ends up partially in the demon’s mouth as I use myself as a shield.

“Hey!” Suguro yells behind me. 

“Rin!” Shiemi shrieks from the upper level. The other two girls just scream wordlessly and uselessly. 

_ Get off me _ , I think at the leaper. It doesn’t move.  _ I said, get off me! _ I glare at the demon, and it must have seen something in my eyes, or heard my thoughts, because it immediately backs off. 

“What,” I say quietly to Suguro, “are you playing at? Are you a complete idiot?! Now you listen real good, yeah?” I spin around to face him, still standing between him and the demon, mostly for his protection. “The one who’s going to defeat Satan is me! So you can just get lost!”

All he can do is stare at me. There’s something indistinguishable in his eyes. Surprise? Awe? I can’t tell. I feel the skeptical gazes of my classmates on me as well, but I ignore them. Suguro is finally able to speak. “Y-you’re the idiot here! Were you trying to get yourself killed? And don’t steal other people’s ambitions!”

“I didn’t steal anything! This ambition’s mine!”

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

‘Hey,” Okumura warns, “you shouldn’t…” She doesn’t even bother to finish that sentence as I slide down the slanted edge of the observation area, into the arena. It’s like she knows there is nothing she can say that will dissuade me. There are various protests from some of my other classmates, but Okumura’s voice is not among them. She’s probably just watching silently as I make a fool of myself. 

Well, if I’m going to draw attention to myself anyway… “I’m… I’m gonna defeat Satan!” I declare resolutely as I confidently approach the minor demon. If I can’t do this, what good am I? I vowed to do this years ago, for my own reasons. I hear laughter, and I’m surprised that Okumura is one of those who isn’t laughing. I know it’s a ridiculous, childish ambition, and probably unattainable. But I don’t care. As I get closer to the demon, my heart starts pounding.  _ I can do this. I’m totally calm. I swore that I’d defeat Satan and restore my temple. And that’s exactly what I’ll do. A little ol’ leaper is nothing.  _

Then, everything changes when the leaper attacks. Apparently, I wasn’t calm enough. Just as the leaper charges at me, though, there’s a flash of black and red, and suddenly she’s here, between me and the demon. All I can see is her long black hair and that red case she keeps on her back at all times. I just have one thought in my mind.  _ She’s… using herself as a shield… She saved my life…  _

“Hey!” I yell at her once I’ve come back to my senses.  _ Is she crazy?! She could have gotten herself killed! _

“Rin!” Moriyama shrieks from the upper level. The other two girls just scream wordlessly. 

I can’t tell what she’s doing, but she seems to be glaring at the demon, and it must have seen something in her eyes, because it backs off submissively.  _ Wow… is she that scary, to make even demons cower in fear? Just what could her heritage possibly be? Who is she related to in order to be so dominating over demons? _

“What,” she begins quietly, as if trying not to shout, “are you playing at? Are you a complete idiot?! Now you listen real good, yeah?” She turns around, and it’s almost scary how clearly her eyes say,  _ you’re a moron.  _ And she’s right. I’m an absolute moron for doing this. Her body is still standing protectively between me and the demon, which is acting surprisingly submissive right now. “The one who’s going to defeat Satan is me! So you can just get lost!”

My mind goes blank for a moment while I try to process everything. I’m probably gaping at her, flapping my jaw loosely like a fish out of water.  _ She also wants to defeat Satan?! How is it that she has the same ambition that I do?! The odds of that are astronomical! _ Finally, I find my voice. “Y-you’re the idiot here! Were you trying to get yourself killed?”  _ Yeah, like I’m one to talk. _ “And don’t steal other people’s ambitions!”

“I didn’t steal anything! This ambition’s mine!”

I learn two things about Rin Okumura today: first, she will never stop amazing me and I should never make the mistake of underestimating her. Second, and I admit this to myself rather reluctantly because even I can’t believe it, I may possibly be slightly in love with her.

  
  


Rin POV:

“What’s all this, Rin?” Yukio asks curiously.

How could he not see exactly what I’m doing? Is he unable to see all the books? He obviously needs better glasses if he can’t tell what I’m doing. “I’m studying, alright?” He does this all the time, so why shouldn’t I? And there’s a bit of time before class, so why not? I might be a bit more hands-on when it comes to learning, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for me to read a textbook.

“Huh?!” He gasps dramatically. “Could this be… some kind of omen?” He puts his hand on his chin and imitates deep thought. It amazes me how dramatic my brother can be sometimes. Then again, we’re both kinda (okay,  _ really _ ) dramatic sometimes. Runs in the family, I suppose.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” I can’t believe this, my own brother has turned against me! But I can’t be bothered by that just now, because I realize I’ve got another problem as I turn back to my books and my vision goes black on my right side. “Ugh, darn this hair…” I push my long hair out of my eye and hold it back with my right hand. It’s typically pulled over my right shoulder, but when I lean over like this, it falls in front of my face. I love having my long hair down, so I don’t own any hair ties, but maybe I should think about getting some so it doesn’t slide in front of my eyes while I’m studying. Then suddenly Suguro is in front of me, staring at me. “What?” I ask defensively after a few seconds of silence. “You here to make fun of me too?”

“I missed my chance to say it yesterday,” he says, his cheeks turning a little pink, “but thanks.” He notices the difficulty I’m having with my hair, pulls a hair clip out of his pocket, and offers it to me. “Here, I use this to keep my hair out of my eyes while I’m studying. You can have it.” 

I reluctantly accept the gift and stare at it. I look up, but he’s already started to head to his own desk. I turn so I can see him. “So weird…” I mutter, mostly to myself. 

“What was that?” Apparently, Suguro heard me. “I’m trying to be nice!”

_ Was he? If this is what he calls ‘nice,’ we have a little ways to go, but I suppose it’s a start. _

Yukio doesn’t say anything, and I don’t know if we have weird twin powers or something (at least I don’t think we do, but who knows when you’re the twin offspring of Satan), like reading each other’s minds or finishing each other’s sentences or speaking in unison, but I can practically feel his nervousness as he silently observes our interaction.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a long one. Shiemi tries to make a new friend, the twins have a little fun (well, Rin does, anyway), training camp starts, and the girls get attacked in the bathroom.

Rin POV:

For the past several weeks, cram school has been going relatively well. I’m getting to know my classmates a bit better too. For the girls, there’s Noriko Paku, who doesn’t seem to have any special qualities or an interesting personality, but she’s nice enough; Izumo Kamiki, who is good at most things she does and hates everyone but Paku; and Shiemi, who is steadily getting stronger. The guys are made up of the two mysterious boys in the back (who are never called on so I don’t know their names); Renzo Shima, the pink-haired guy who I think tried to ask me out more than once since the leaper incident; Konekomaru Miwa, a tiny, bald, bespectacled boy who is probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met; and Ryuuji Suguro, AKA Bon, who will not, for any reason at all whatsoever, stop staring at me. I see him out of the corner of my eye. I can’t look directly at him, because then he pretends like he’s not watching me, but I can tell that he’s constantly got his eyes on me. And it’s so  _ irritating _ ! It always seems like he wants to tell me something, but never gets around to actually talking to me! Well, he  _ does _ talk to me sometimes, but not often, and when he does, it’s usually to call me out on something. But it’s starting to be not so… hostile. More than anything, actually, it’s like he’s trying to help me do things right. And I honestly don’t know how I feel about it.

I mean, sure, I don’t dislike the guy (and he’s actually pretty hot, in a rugged and rebellious rooster sort of way), but he seems conflicted when it comes to me, and I don’t know why. But I  _ am  _ sure about one thing: I think he’s beginning to suspect I’m not entirely human. 

It’s all the staring he’s doing. It’s like he’s trying to figure something out. The fact that my tail wiggles under my shirt sometimes doesn’t help, either, because that’s not something that someone who’s a hundred percent human would have going on. I can’t help getting excited now and again, but my tail is like a dog’s, in the sense that it has a mind of its own. I’ve started moving my torso a bit to hide it, but I’m probably convincing no one. 

I think even Shiemi’s starting to suspect about me. She came over to the dorm a few times, unannounced, and since I don’t typically hide my tail while I’m home, it was always rather surprising to find her coming in while I was making breakfast or getting ready. She almost saw my tail multiple times, but fortunately I was able to hide it in time (it’s almost become an automatic reaction when I see her). One time she came over and I was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a sports bra as I was making dinner for myself and Yukio. I still have no idea how I got out of that one without Shiemi seeing my tail. 

Other than that, though, I’m pretty sure my classmates have very little evidence of my true identity. 

When I enter the cram school, the last thing I expect to see is Shiemi sitting on her knees on the ground in the middle of the hallway. But, lo and behold, here she is, sitting on her knees on the ground in the middle of the hallway. “Shiemi?” I say in surprise. “What are you doing down there?”

For some reason, when she looks at me, she blushes, like she’s been caught red-handed. Why does she look so guilty, and why do I get the feeling that she’s not? “It’s nothing!” she says hastily, before getting up and running away. 

“I see…” I murmur, even though I don’t see at all. But it seems like she needs a little bit of space, so I won’t interrogate her later. I’m her only friend, so it probably wouldn’t be wise to push her too much. If she wants to talk to me about whatever is bothering her, though, I’m always willing to listen. I can’t help but feel protective of her; in the short time I’ve known her, she’s become like the sister I’ve never had.    
  


Ryuuji POV:

“You have a month-and-a-half summer holiday coming up,” says Mr. Okumura from the front of the classroom, “but before that is this year’s esquire authorization exam. Since its purpose is to provide combat training rather than just to make you esquires, the exam won’t be that easy. Therefore, I’ll be holding a one-week training camp for the examinations, starting next week. If you wish to participate in the training camp, please fill in this form with acquisition hope ‘meister’ and submit it to me by Monday.” 

He passes back the forms, and I know exactly what I’m going to put for mine. For some reason, I look up at Okumura. She’s bent over her form, pondering. Her hair falls in front of the right side of her face, and she looks mildly annoyed before bending sideways in her seat to fish around in her bag for something. To my surprise, when she pulls it out, it’s the hair clip I gave her. She slides it in and fastens it to the right side of her hair, effectively keeping it back.  _ She’s so beautiful. _ She seems satisfied, and turns back to her form. I realize that I’m staring.  _ Moron! Stop! _ I force myself to look down at my own paper and write down my meister decisions.

As I’m writing, Okumura comes over to the desk that Shima, Koneko, and I are sitting at and holds up her form.

“So, what exactly is a meister?” she asks us. “Please tell me.”

“What?!” And here I thought she was serious! Her brother’s even a teacher, and she doesn’t ask him anything? “You don’t even know that and you’re saying you want to become an exorcist! Get real! Isn’t your own brother an exorcist?!”

“Being that bespectacled beanpole’s big sister doesn’t mean he always has time for me, you know,” she says, getting irritated. “Come on, I thought we were friends now.” I guess I never really thought about that. He’s a student, a teacher, and an exorcist, so he must live a rather busy life. Plus, they probably live in different dorms, so they might not see each other all that often. And she thinks we’re friends? Since when? Is it because she saved my life from the leaper? Well… at the very least, I don’t think we’re enemies anymore, and I want to be her friend, but I still shouldn’t help her. Some people need to learn how to figure things out on their own, and Okumura is no exception.

“‘Meister’ means…”

“Konekomaru!” I scold. “Don’t tell her!” I don’t want her here. If I try to talk to her, I’ll only end up looking like a moron again, not like I don’t already come across as an idiot around her. She can ask her brother for help. 

Koneko goes ahead and tells her about meisters, ignoring me. “Now, about the technical qualifications that are necessary for an exorcist,” Konekomaru begins, not listening to me, “the five categories are knight, dragoon, tamer, aria, and doctor. You can become an exorcist if you acquire the title of meister in any of the five categories. So depending on the meister, the fighting style changes.”

“I understand now! Thanks Konekomaru!” She sounds so grateful, and she’s giving him the sweetest look. I haven’t seen her smile very often, but she’s gracing Konekomaru with one now and it’s beautiful.  _ I want her to look at me like that! _ I think she notices the look of jealousy on my face.  __ But if she does, she ignores it, and asks Konekomaru, “What will you pick?”  _ Since when are they so familiar with each other?! _

“Hey, what’s with you people acting so friendly with each other?!” I demand. No one answers me. 

“Shima and I have our eye on aria. Arias are the type of meister who recites the bible and sacred scriptures to fight,” Konekomaru tells her. He’s such a little gentleman toward her. I find myself hoping that he doesn’t like her like I do. I almost think that Shima does too, since I notice his eyes keep going to her breasts, which are accentuated by the strap that rests between them and keeps her red case on her back. But he’s a pervert, so of course he would be like this. I just hope she knows to keep her distance. 

“Bon’s gonna push himself until he gets both aria and dragoon,” Shima informs her, grinning proudly.

“Seriously?” She doesn’t sound surprised. Instead, she sounds impressed. “As expected of Bon!” She grins knowingly at me. 

“Suguro!” I yell, correcting her. Why does she have to be like this? I don’t actually mind her calling me by my nickname, especially since it sounds so good coming from her lips, but I’m not ready for that level of friendship with her yet. Also, I have an image to maintain around her, not that I’m saying I’m doing a very good job of it _. _ “Don’t go talking all friendly-like about me!”  _ Why did I say that? Why am I such an idiot around her? _

“Oh, yeah…” says Konekomaru thoughtfully, ignoring my outburst. “Didn’t Mr. Okumura also get doctor and dragoon?”

“Wow…” she whispers, probably mostly to herself. “He’s really something…”  _ She didn’t know? Is her brother keeping secrets from her? If she didn’t know that about him… Actually, that probably explains why she was so angry with him on the first day. He probably didn’t tell her that he would be a cram school teacher. She might not have even expected him to be an exorcist, either. I wonder why she was in the dark about that?  _ “I wonder what I should do…” she says in a normal volume. She studies the handout, looking over the names of each meister. “So what’s a dragoon?”

I try not to groan too loudly. I might as well tell her. She won’t leave until I do. “You’re such a pain! Dragoons are a meister that fight using heavy weapons! And knights are meisters who fight with swords…”

“A sword?” she interrupts, her pointy ears perking up. “Well then, I’m gonna be a knight!” She picks up her pencil, and starts writing down her decision. That was… fast. She didn’t even listen to what the other meisters are. And… _ She has a sword? Where did she get a sword? _

“You’re always so good at helping others, aren’t you, Bon?” Shima asks cheerfully and suggestively. “I have to admit, though, I’m surprised you could even talk to her, since you’re always—”

“Shut up!”  _ The last thing I need is for him to reveal how much I stare at her.  _

“That reminds me, you’re always carrying a sword around, right?” Konekomaru asks her, glancing at the red case on her back.

“Yep,” she says, still focused on filling out her form.  _ Why would a girl like her need a sword? _

  
  


Rin POV:

“Okay, I’ll be summoning my familiar now,” says Mr. Neuhaus, the teacher in charge of our magic circle class. He is standing in front of a large magic circle that he has drawn on the floor with chalk. He’s rather a plain-looking guy, or he would be were it not for the eyepatch over his left eye. I wonder what happened to it? “Don’t step on the drawing,” he warns. “If you do, the magic circle is broken and it loses its effect.” He shows us his bloody and heavily bandaged hand. “Your blood and an appropriate appeal is also necessary for a successful summoning.” A few drops of his blood drip onto the circle, and he chants, “The son of Typhoeus and Echidna, answer my request and come out!” An arm emerges from the circle as if it were water, followed by the rest of the demon’s body. It lets out a groan. “There is an incredibly small amount of humans who can summon demons and make them work as a familiar. Sheer spiritual fortitude is needed to tame the demons, but natural talent is also essential.”

Suguro is staring at the demon in awe. “Is that a naberius? It’s the first time I’ve seen one…”

“Urgh…” groans Shima, “It stinks…” He’s right about that. Along with my other senses, my olfactory abilities have grown somewhat more sensitive than they were before I gained my current form. 

“I’ll be testing you now to see if you have the talent,” Neuhaus announces. “On the paper I gave you a while ago, drip your own blood where the magic circle has been roughly sketched. Then try to recite any words that come to mind.”

We all give it a try. The first one to succeed is Izumo Kamiki, the girl with the long purple pigtails and weird eyebrows. “I ask the grace of Inari, the god of harvest, to fulfill my prayers!” She summons two white foxes.

“Two byakkos… Splendid, Izumo Kamiki,” Neuhaus praises her.

“That was great, Izumo…” grins the short-haired Paku. “I’m really useless at this stuff…”

“Of course!” Kamiki brags as if it’s the most obvious thing ever. “I’m related to a miko, after all!”  _ Wow, she’s really full of herself. _

“I’ve got no talent,” Suguro and Shima admit at the same time.

“Me neither,” Konekomaru adds.

I can’t summon anything either, but I’m more worried, as a demon, about being summoned myself. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen. Probably because I’m half human, too… I’m actually okay with not being able to summon. Why would a demon need another demon to fight for her?

Shiemi is the second and last one to successfully summon. “I’ll do it too!” she declares with stars in her eyes. She’s obviously impressed by Kamiki’s ability.  _ And who wouldn’t be? Kamiki is amazingly talented at summoning. _ She smears her blood on the paper and says in her sweet voice, “Come out, come out wherever you are…” 

After a moment, a tiny, plant-like creature pops into existence with a “Nii!” I stare at it for a second. My jaw drops.  _ It’s so cute!  _ I think. I will not squeal. That would not be good for my dignity. Instead, I close my mouth and keep myself composed. Mostly, anyway. My face might be showing a little bit of emotion right now.

“That’s a greenman spirit,” says Neuhaus. “How wonderful, Shiemi Moriyama.” He sounds  _ so _ excited for her (and I say that with the greatest amount of sarcasm possible, because his enthusiasm is so low it’s through the floor). 

“Shiemi, that’s incredible!” I tell her excitedly. “Congratulations!” I really am happy for her. “You’re so lucky you can summon!” I give her a side hug so that she doesn’t accidentally drop her new familiar.

“Aww, thanks, Rin!” She leans into my hug.

“Nii!” the tiny greenman exclaims happily at Shiemi as we break apart.

“H-hello…” Shiemi says to it timidly. “Ah!” she cries out in surprise as it jumps up from its spot on top of the paper and grabs a lock of her blonde hair. It looks like it’s… hugging her? Why is this so adorable? “That tickles!” Shiemi giggles. The greenman eventually climbs up and settles comfortably on top of her head. That’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, a tiny green creature cuddling up to my best friend. “Hey, Kamiki,” says Shiemi shyly. “I also called out a familiar!”

Shiemi doesn’t seem to notice the absolutely livid look that she’s getting from Kamiki. “Oh, good for you,” Kamiki says, her voice just dripping with sarcasm and contempt, which Shiemi also doesn’t seem to be able to pick up on. “It’s so surprisingly tiny and cute, like a peanut.”

“T-thank you!” Shiemi gasps happily, blushing. I really hope Shiemi knows what she’s doing. I really don’t want her to get hurt.

“There seems to be a bumper crop of tamer prospects this year,” Neuhaus lectures, as if the past two minutes never happened. “There are only a few tamers among the exorcists who can control demons and fight. They’re pretty valuable. Demons never follow humans that are weaker than themselves, and they are especially keen on attacking those that lack confidence. But as I said before, if the magic circle is broken, the familiar is relieved of its post and disappears. If you feel like you’re in danger, and you summoned a familiar with paper, just tear the paper up.”

Shiemi smiles up at her tiny familiar. “I don’t want to have to get rid of you…”

“Nii!”

“Can I call you Nii?” she asks politely.

After class, as we’re headed through the hallway, I witness a strange scene unfold before me. 

“Kamiki!” Shiemi yells as she runs to catch up with Kamiki and her friend.

“Izumo? She’s calling out to you,” Paku informs her friend. 

“Ignore her,” says Kamiki. “Let’s go, Paku. She pisses me off.”

Paku stops in the middle of the hallway, as if conflicted between listening to her friend and being nice to this new girl trying to get their attention. Finally, Kamiki stops too, and turns around angrily.

“What are you always following me around for? You’re always acting all stuck up ‘cause you summoned a tiny little familiar! Go bother Okumura!”  _ Don’t you go bringing me into this, polka-brow! I want no part of your disagreement with Shiemi, whatever it could possibly be! Although, I guess I have to admit I won’t hesitate to save Shiemi from her if things take a turn for the worse…  _

“Uh… um…” Shiemi stutters, before finally getting to the point. “Please! Be my friend!”

“What?!” Whatever Kamiki was expecting, it wasn’t this. And whatever I was expecting, it absolutely wasn’t this. I don’t care if she wants more friends, since it’s none of my business to be jealous about it… in fact, it’s a very good thing, but does she  _ realize  _ who she’s talking to? Kamiki isn’t just unpleasant, she’s downright cruel to anyone who isn’t Paku! And Shiemi wants to be  _ her _ friend?!

“I’ve only got one friend,” Shiemi mumbles nervously. “And Rin’s so wonderful. But sometimes I feel like I annoy her, you know?” I’m positive that she must be joking. She’s my only friend too, unless I include Yukio, but he doesn’t count because, as my twin brother, he’s kinda always been stuck with me, even before we were alive. But there’s no way Shiemi could annoy me. 

“Hmm,” Kamiki hums. I don’t like the smile she has on her face. That’s definitely the look of a predator, closing in on its prey. I’ve seen it too many times before, when mean boys make fun of girls who have given them letters that confess their love, or bullies want to pick on the nerd, or delinquents want to rip the legs off pigeons. She’s cooking up something dark. That much is obvious to me. “Fine, we’ll be your friends from now on,” she says.  _ Well, one of you will be, anyway... _ I should intervene, but… 

“Really?!” The look on Shiemi’s face is so happy, I don’t have the heart to tell her that Kamiki is faking it. 

But when Kamiki shoves her bag into Shiemi’s arms, my mind is changed for me. “Well, then, hurry up and carry this!”  _ Excuse me?!  _ I need to shut this down. Now. “I don’t have a lot of physical strength, so I get tired pretty quickly. Besides, aren’t friends supposed to help each other out? You’ll hold it for me, won’t you?”

“I’ll hold it for you,” I volunteer, striding over to where they are and plucking the bag out of Shiemi’s hands.

“R-Rin?” Shiemi asks, startled. 

“I have plenty of strength and stamina, so you can rely on me. Alright, Kamiki?” I keep my tone amicable enough for now, but that will change if she doesn’t get the hint. 

“What are you doing, Okumura?” Kamiki demands. 

“Me?” I ask innocently. “Why, I’m trying to become your friend. Friends  _ are _ supposed to help each other out, right? So I thought I’d help by carrying your bag for you. And call me Rin.”

“No one asked you,  _ Rin _ ,” growls Kamiki, shaking with anger. But I’ve dealt with too many larger and stronger guys to be even remotely afraid of a shorter, thinner, weaker girl like her. “ _ Leave. _ ”

“Fine.” I shrug, handing her bag back to her. “Come on, Shiemi, I’ll walk you home if you want.” I put my arm around her waist and pull her away from Kamiki. 

“O-okay,” Shiemi agrees. 

“Oh, by the way,” I say, pausing and turning around as if just thinking of something. “It’s fine with me, Kamiki, if Shiemi wants to be your friend, but if you ever try something like that with her again,” and here I pause to give her an icy glare, “you will regret it, that I promise you.” Then I lead my poor, innocent friend away. I will not have her get hurt. 

But for the rest of the week until the training camp, in spite of my warning, Kamiki gives Shiemi orders when she thinks I’m not paying attention, which become less and less polite as time goes on. And I watch as Shiemi dutifully obeys, as Kamiki’s ‘friend’. It starts with a: “Can you go and deliver this for me?” At first I think nothing of it, but then other demands come. “Go get my share of the spring valerianaceae we’re using for the next pharmacy class for me.” “Melon bread, fruit milk.” With each order, my patience wears thinner and thinner, and my scowl deepens. I was willing to give her a chance, to be the better person, but now she  _ is _ pushing it. Kamiki eventually notices the glares I’m sending her, and then she doesn’t order Shiemi around as often as she might. I think she knows I’m angry because my friend is being treated like a slave. Despite my threat, though, I’m not actually planning to do anything anything to Kamiki. I might literally be Satan’s daughter, but I’m not evil. But that doesn’t mean I’m not at least trying to make Kamiki  _ think  _ I’m about to do something. A little gesture here, a little glare there. I think it’s working, because she’s starting to flinch a little when she sees me. 

Yukio and I wait outside our dorm building for the other cram school students to show up for the training camp. It’s going to be held in our dorm because we’re the only ones living here (for obvious reasons). He is, unsurprisingly, in his exorcist uniform while I’m lucky enough to be wearing short shorts and a huge t-shirt of Yukio’s. And before we came down, Yukio wanted to put my hair in a braid, so I let him. And since I’m not about to destroy a work of art that he just created, I left it in. 

“Hey, sister?” Yukio says. 

“Yes, brother?” 

“Why are you wearing my clothes? You have plenty of your own now, don’t you?”

Of all the things he could have said. Not “behave yourself,” or “keep your flames in check,” but he wants to know why I am wearing his clothes. It’s true, the shorts are mine, but this shirt does belong to my brother. “I’m just used to this stuff. And I do this all the time, you know this. We  _ did _ share a closet before, brother.”

He sighs. “Rin, this has to stop  _ sometime _ . It’s comparable to me wearing one of your skirts. Would you really want that?”

_ Oh my god, this is going to be fantastic. _ “If it means I’ll be supporting whatever kinks you have, then yes,” I answer, fighting to keep the smirk off my face. “No worries, I won’t judge! Come on, let’s see if I have anything that fits you! You and I are going to have a little fun while we’re waiting for the others, little brother.” I very easily drag him upstairs to our room with him protesting and trying (futilely) to resist the entire way. 

“Rin…”

“Come on, strip,” I order happily as I rummage through my drawers.  _ Ah, this might fit him _ . “Perfect.” I turn around to see him still fully dressed, staring at me with such a distressed look on his face. “C’mon, you prude, we share a room. And it’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before, we’re twins for goodness sake. We didn’t even bathe separately until we hit puberty.” 

A few minutes later, I’ve gotten my way. And a few photos of a blushing Yukio in one of my school uniforms. Then I finally allow him to change back into his own uniform before we head downstairs. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

The first day of training camp arrives, and we all meet at the Okumuras’ dorm building. I can’t believe they have the whole place to themselves, but I have a feeling it has to do with whatever secret they’re hiding. 

The twins are waiting outside for us. For some reason, our teacher seems frazzled and recently harassed while our classmate looks extremely happy and proud of herself. I decide it would be best not to ask. Instead, I’m wondering how she can look so cute in the huge t-shirt she’s wearing. I realize that this is the first time I’ve seen her not wearing a school uniform, but I’m already pretty sure she can make any clothes look good. At first I think she’s not wearing any pants, but then I see the hem of her shorts just barely peeking out from the bottom of her shirt. 

Then I notice something else seems different about her appearance, and after a few seconds I realize that her hair is styled in one long braid down her back. I find myself really liking the look of it on her. Suddenly I realize that I’m staring, and try to look away before she notices. She doesn’t seem to have seen the way I was looking at her, but it appears that the other Okumura twin  _ has _ , and he gives me a brief, warning glare. 

“Incredible! It’s like a ghost hotel,” Shima comments as our group observes the dorm building for the first time. It really kind of is. Although, I guess it doesn’t really count as one, since it’s inhabited.

“Ugh, it’s creepy,” Kamiki says. “Isn’t there any place better than this? Oh,” she remembers, handing Moriyama her bag, “yeah, take this.”  _ Right in front of Okumura?! Are you that stupid, Kamiki? She literally told you that you’d regret doing that! _

“Moriyama!” Paku says in a hushed voice. “If you don’t want to do it, just say so!”

“Paku! I want to do it!” Shiemi says, as cheerful as ever. “Because it’s helping my friend!”

As everyone else heads inside, Okumura just stares after Moriyama, dumbstruck. Just as she looks like she’s about to go in herself, I decide to approach her from the side and talk to her. “Since when do you wear your hair in a braid?” I ask. She jumps, startled.

“What the— Are you talking to me willingly?” She sounds genuinely surprised, and thankfully not angry. 

“Uhh…” I was just trying to make polite conversation a second ago, but I don’t know how to answer her. I should just run away now. 

“To answer your question,” she explains, saving me from any drastic measures and keeping me from running, “Yukio sometimes likes doing my hair like this.” She shrugs.  _ Her brother did this? _ “I dunno why, but I just let him whenever he wants to. It’s not like I do anything with it on my own.” 

“Okay…” I find it hard to believe that a guy would want to do his sister’s hair, but I also find it hard to believe that she’s lying. Every time I’ve seen her, she’s worn her hair down, with no clips or hair ties of any kind (except for the clip I gave her, to keep her hair out of the way while she studies). And she looks good with her hair down, but I find it easy to believe that she doesn’t (or can’t) style it on her own. But it doesn’t matter how she wears her hair. She’s always beautiful. 

Then she leans in and whispers, as if telling me a secret, “Please tell him I told you. It might hurt his dignity if too many people, especially his students, know that he braids his sister’s hair.”

“Got it.” I nod in understanding. But I don’t understand why she would give me blackmail on her brother. I have to admit, though… “He could be a professional, by the way. It looks good on you.”

She immediately blushes. She looks away bashfully, and I can’t help but notice, yet again, how beautiful she is. For the first time, she seems to notice that everyone else is gone. “Come on, we should go in.”

“Yeah.” As much as I want to stay out here and talk to her in private, I follow her inside. 

  
  


Rin POV:

“Alright,” Yukio announces, very teacherly. “Time’s up. Please flip your worksheets over and pass them around. That’s enough for today. Tomorrow, get up at 6 o’clock, and we’ll do the answers to our question and answer session for one hour before attending school.”  _ Finally, I can leave. _

I get up from my spot at the table, covered in a sheen of sweat because it’s so stuffy in this room. “I’m just gonna go… get some air…” The heat is exhausting, and I can’t breathe well in here. But heat shouldn’t bother me, I’m a fire demon! Or maybe it’s just internal heat I can handle? Maybe I’m just warm enough already that any more external heat is too much? Either way, though, I’m absolutely boiling. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn this huge shirt… a tank top would have been better… it would’ve been harder to hide my tail though, unless I wore a long skirt, which I don’t have. 

“Yeah, go cool down.” Why does Suguro sound so concerned? I thought he hated me. Although, now I’m not so sure, based off earlier today, when he talked to me willingly and civilly, and even went so far as to compliment my hair. And then there was that thing he made me feel… What  _ was _ that feeling, anyway? Normally I wouldn’t feel so awkward when talking to someone or accepting a compliment, but with him it was different. Why? Why was it different?

As I sling the Koma sword over my shoulder to head out, Kamiki says, “Paku, let’s go take a bath.”

“Okay…”

“A bath? I’ll come too!” says Shiemi.

All I want is to not be in this room anymore, but before I can make it to the door, Paku calls after me politely. “Hey Rin, would you like to join us?”

_ Um, yes I would like to join them. _ For once, it might be nice to be seen as one of the girls. And getting naked would definitely cool me off some. But if I do, they will see my tail, ask about it, and no matter what I tell them, they will probably discover my secret. Or, at least, they will guess at it. And I can’t have that. I wonder if they already know, or at least suspect, that I’m not entirely human? I turn and smile apologetically at Paku, and say as politely as I can, “Sorry, Paku. I’d love to, really, but I’m pretty shy,” I lie. I’m not shy at all with my body. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter how much of my skin someone sees. It’s just a body, and everyone has one, even if we don’t all have the same parts. “I’ll bathe alone after you guys, okay?” I hate to leave Paku and Shiemi looking so disappointed. It looks like Shiemi was also looking forward to bathing with me. And I’m not really her friend, but I do like Paku.

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

Okumura looks like all she wants is to be anywhere but here right now, but just before she’s able to make it to the door, Paku calls after her, her voice full of hope. “Hey Rin, would you like to join us?”

She stops, and pauses for a moment before turning and smiling apologetically at Paku. “Sorry, Paku,” she says politely. “I’d love to, really, but I’m pretty shy. I’ll bathe alone after you guys, okay?” She leaves the room, with Paku and Moriyama staring sadly after her. Seems they both wanted her to bathe with them. They probably wanted an all-girls bath to bond with each other or something. Can’t say the same for Kamiki, though. She looks likes she couldn’t care less. After a few moments, the rest of the girls leave.

Shima immediately starts drooling when the girls are gone. “A bath full of women… how nice… Hey, we gotta take a peek! It’s our job as men, after all…”

“Shima!” I scold him. “You’re supposed to be a Buddhist priest! And it’s no one’s job!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says with his most devious grin on his face. “You say that, but you guys want to do it too.” He would probably be right, I would want to take a peek, if Okumura were joining them. Which she’s not. And anyway, even if she was, at least I have self-restraint. Suddenly, the idea of a naked Rin Okumura floods my mind, and I can’t help but imagine what a beautiful sight that would be. I try not to imagine too much, though, since I’m convinced it’ll be too much for me to handle without showing outwardly that I’m thinking about her like that. 

“It’s Shima’s bad habit again,” comments Neko tiredly. 

“Please bear in mind that there is a teacher here…” Mr. Okumura interjects from his chair, where he is grading papers. He pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, almost contemptuously. 

“Teacher, yeah,” says Shima, patting Mr. Okumura on the back in a friendly and familiar manner, as if they’d known each other forever. “But aren’t you basically a high school freshman? And it’s not like your sister will be in there, so you don’t even have to worry about her honor. Don’t be unreasonable.”

“I’m against reckless adventures as a principle.” He’s the complete opposite of his playful, reckless, adventurous sister. “And besides, women do not interest me.”

“Oh?” Shima asks, wiggling his eyebrows. “Does that mean you’re gay, then? Because don’t get me wrong, I’ll support you either way…”

“I have no such interest in men either, nor anyone of any gender. Now I will talk no further of my interests or disinterests,” Mr. Okumura says coldly.

“Just let it go, Shima,” I say, rolling my eyes. 

“Why’s that, Bon?” Shima asks suggestively. “You thinking you want to sneak off by yourself when it’s just Rin, all alone in there? She  _ did _ say she would bathe  _ all  _ alone afterwards…”

My jaw drops. “What dumb idea do you have this time?!”  _ And in front of her brother, too! Shut up, moron! _

“I’ve seen you,” he teases. “You’re always staring at her in class like a puppy whose master has promised him a treat, so it’s only natural that you’d want a better look at every centimeter of her beautiful body, right?”

Before he can say another word, my fist is in his stomach. “Unlike you,” I growl in his ear, “I’m not a pervert.”

“And I,” says a voice beside me, and I look over to see Mr. Okumura, who seems to have punched Shima at the same time that I did, “am very protective of my sister.” He’s no longer in teacher-mode. He’s definitely in brother-mode now. “And I will personally shoot anyone who tries anything with Rin.” Right, he’s a dragoon. He has guns. 

  
  


Rin POV:

Unsure of where else to go, I head to the roof. It’s quiet, no one will bother me, and I’ve got some thinking to do. Specifically about a certain rooster-headed classmate of mine. I’ve noticed that Suguro is staring at me a lot lately. Of course, every time I try to catch him, he looks away and acts like nothing’s wrong. All I can do is watch him out of the corner of my eye.  _ He was staring at me on the first day, too, from the moment I walked into the classroom, _ I think. At first I thought it was a coincidence that we made eye contact, but now I’m not so sure. I try to think of his other mannerisms.

_ Oh, yeah, he’s accused me of being in relationships, too. First with Yukio, before he knew that he’s my brother, then with Shiemi, before he knew that I’m pan but single. He actually looked really relieved when I said that. Was it the fact that I’m single that got him so happy? He was angry when he threw around those absurd false accusations, so maybe he wanted me to be single? _

_ And then there was that thing with the leaper. Why did he go down there in the first place? Was he just trying to show off? Granted, if it had worked, it would have been very impressive, but I was the one who ended up saving him. And afterward, the way he looked at me… I thought he wanted to be my friend after that, but part of me wonders if he had other, more romantic, intentions. _ The instant the word ‘romantic’ enters my mind, I freeze.  _ Does he…  _ like _ me? _ _ No, no, no! He can’t like me! Of course he doesn’t! But why would he give me that hair clip? Was he genuinely just trying to be nice? Was it only a sign of friendship, with no ulterior motive? Yeah, that’s it! That’s surely all it was! He probably just wants to be my friend, right? Yeah! It was a sign of friendship! _

I manage to mostly convince myself of this in the next few minutes before I head back down again.

I buy a drink from a vending machine and I’m heading back to my and Yukio’s room with it when I notice Shiemi standing outside the bathroom. It looks like she’s waiting for Kamiki and Paku to finish their bath. 

“Shiemi?” Even with my suspicions, I have to ask. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” she says. She looks almost disappointed, and I bet I can guess why. “I have to go buy some fruit milk…” She turns to leave, but I catch her arm and stop her. 

“Hey!” I snap. 

“Wh- what?” She seems shocked for some reason. 

“Will you stop that?!” I demand. 

“Stop what?” Does she really not see it?

“You’re acting like an errand runner! It’s weird!”

“I’m not an errand runner… I’m helping my friend!”

“She’s not your friend!” There. I said it. And I can’t take it back. Although, at the moment, I don’t plan to. She needs to know the truth, and I’m the only one who can tell her. “Do you seriously believe that?!”

“... I’m always hiding behind someone, and I hate it! I just… I want to be strong and help someone! This is the first time I’ve ever made friends! You wouldn’t understand, Rin! You’ve always been strong, and had friends! You’ve always been popular! Haven’t you?!” Shiemi cries. 

“No, I haven’t! I’ve only ever had Yukio! You are my first actual friend, Shiemi! I don’t care who you want to be friends with! I just don’t want you to get hurt!” I yell at her as she tries to escape. Then a thought occurs to me. “What was with that burst of anger just now?!” I shout, sprinting after her. “Hey, wait!” I have just caught up to her when I hear the very feminine scream. There are only two other girls in this building, besides me and Shiemi. And they’re in the bathroom. Without thinking, I’m running back in that direction. “You go tell Yuki!” I shout over my shoulder at her.  _ Yuki?! Really?! Did I actually just call my brother that?! Man, Shiemi’s rubbing off on me! _ I mentally groan and slap my forehead in utter embarrassment, but I have no time to dwell on it. No matter how much I don't like her, I have to help Kamiki. I do like Paku, though, so I guess helping Kamiki will, by extension, help Paku. 

I burst into the bathroom to find Kamiki’s foxes, her own familiars, turning against her. With a single punch, I send them flying across the room. “Tear up the paper!” I yell at her. I’m not a tamer, and even I remember that bit of important information from the lesson. She immediately obeys my order as I survey the room, and the foxes disappear. Paku is face down on the tile floor, obviously having been attacked by the hideous demon that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, when the screams were heard. My objective is clear: I have to take the demon out. 

But my heart sinks as I grasp the gravity of my situation.  _ What am I going to do? I can’t draw my sword… _ I don’t know what other options I have, though.  _ Come quickly, Yukio, _ I plead desperately. 

“Rin!” Shiemi’s voice startles me, and I turn around. 

“You!” She’s the last thing I need right now! What happened to getting my brother?! She had _ one  _ job!

But her attention has been drawn elsewhere. “Paku!” Right, Paku needs help. “Rin!” Shiemi shouts. “While I’m treating Paku, you distract the demon!”

Never before have I heard such authority in her voice. “That’s a little easier said than done!” I pull my sword off my back, still in its carrying case, to use as a blunt weapon. “Come on, you disgusting piece of crap! Over here!” I scream at the demon. 

It turns toward me. “Princess…” it groans quietly, so that only I can hear it. The word it uttered shouldn't get to me, but it does.  _ What is that supposed to mean? I’ve been called that before, and only by another demon. _ I hesitate for a second, distracted, but that’s enough time for the demon to attack. The next thing I know, I’m flying across the room, and I slam into the wall. Then I fall to the floor, on my back, my braid trapped underneath me. And then the demon is on top of me, grabbing my throat and pinning me down. “Forgive… me…” the demon gurgles. “This is the bidding… of my master…”

_ Satan? _ I wonder. Is that its master? But…  _ It’s no use… I can’t beat it… I’m at my limit…  _ My vision is going dark. My hand gropes around for something, anything that I can use to get this demon off me. And then my fingers close around Kurikara. A semblance of a plan pops into my mind. I am in the process of wondering if I should do it, since it would give me away, but then the darkness takes me, and I remember nothing more. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

It turns out that it’s not the promise of naked girls, but rather the terrified feminine screaming that lures us guys to the girls’ bath. When we arrive, there’s a demon that has attacked them. All four girls are here. Paku is unconscious on the floor, Moriyama is treating her, Kamiki is cowering in the shadows by the lockers so we can’t really see her, and Okumura is also unconscious, being pinned down and in the middle of being choked to death by the demon. Mr. Okumura wastes no time in shooting at the demon, which disappears, and saving his sister. If he hadn’t done anything, I definitely would have. 

“Rin!” Mr. Okumura yells, running to her side. He checks her vitals, then sighs in relief, hugging his unconscious sister’s head to his chest. “She’s breathing. It seems she just recently blacked out.”  _ Thank goodness. She’ll be alright. _ After ensuring that his twin is okay, he moves on to treating Paku. “Suguro,” he says, focused on the girl in front of him.

“Yeah?”

“I want you to take my sister out of here. She should probably be laying down in her bed when she wakes up.”

“Okay…” I bend down and pick her up, with one arm behind her back and one under her knees. I can feel the soft, smooth skin of her legs on my arm, and all I desire is more physical contact. The end of her braid dangles limply toward the ground. I stand there for several seconds, unsure of what to do with her. She shifts unconsciously, her body curling into itself slightly and her head nuzzling deeper into my chest. My heart pounds heavily. With this close proximity, I’m getting very nervous and excited. “Where should I take her?” I ask. 

“Please take Rin to room 602. Her bed is on the left-hand side,” says Mr. Okumura. Okumura shifts again, and I look down to see, in relief, that she’s awake. She’s looking blearily at her brother.  _ She’s okay! She’s actually okay now! Thank goodness, I thought that she might not wake up for a long time! _

“Okumura!” She looks up at me. I hope I don’t sound too concerned. “Are you alright?”

She looks confused for a moment, then grins weakly. “Oh, you know. Blacking out after being nearly choked to death usually means that someone is okay,” she jokes, letting out a small, morbid laugh. Her voice is hoarse. “But yeah, I’m fine now. Don’t worry.” She lightly pats my chest as if to reassure me. “And call me Rin.”  _ So it’s not just her friends? She wants everyone to call her by her first name? _

My face suddenly feels hot. “Worry? Who’s worrying? I’m not worrying!”  _ Why would she think I’m worried? _

“Suguro!” We both look over to see her brother glaring at me. Everyone else is also staring at us. “If you’re done messing around with my sister, please put her down!”

It’s only now that I realize that I’m still holding her. Mr. Okumura does have a point, I suppose, although I wasn’t ‘messing around’ with her, whatever he meant by that. 

“Um, yeah,” says Rin rather awkwardly, her cheeks a little pink. “I can probably stand on my own now…”

“Right… uh, here you go.” I set her down on her feet as gently as I can. She wobbles unsteadily for a moment, and I put my arms out to catch her if I need to, but she regains her balance quickly. 

We stand here rather awkwardly for a few seconds before I try to distract myself by seeing how Paku’s doing. I rather liked holding Rin like that, if I’m being honest with myself, and my arms feel empty without her in them.

A few minutes later, I look up to see that Rin is gone.  _ Where did she go? _

But I guess it doesn’t matter where Rin went. Maybe she went back to her dorm room. All that matters is that we get Paku to somewhere she can rest and recover. 

  
  


Rin POV:

When I come to, I’m no longer on the floor. Instead, I’m being held bridal style in someone’s big, strong, steady arms.  _ It’s kinda nice here…  _ my waking but still sleepy mind thinks groggily. Unintentionally, I snuggle deeper into the person’s arms, getting more comfortable. 

“Where should I take her?” says a voice above me.  _ I know that voice.  _ My eyes snap open, and sure enough, there he is. Honestly, in hindsight, I should have known it was him. It couldn’t really be anyone else. No one else in our class has muscle mass like this, not even my much-larger (but younger) brother. It’s Suguro.  _ What’s he doing here? And why is he carrying me? _ He isn’t looking at me. Instead, he has his attention focused on someone else who is out of my line of vision. 

“Please take Rin to room 602. Her bed is on the left-hand side,” says a voice.  _ Yukio? _ So he did make it here after all. The guys probably heard all the screaming. I shift a little, turning my head to look at him. He has his back turned, and he looks like he’s focused on Paku, so he doesn’t see me, but Suguro notices I’m awake. 

“Okumura!” I look back up at him, and he’s staring at me with such a concerned expression. “Are you alright?”

_ What kind of question is that? _ “Oh, you know. Blacking out after being nearly choked to death usually means that someone is okay,” I joke hoarsely, letting out a small, morbid laugh. “But yeah, I’m fine now. Don’t worry.” I lightly pat Suguro on the chest, the only thing I can think of to do to console him. “And call me Rin.” Seriously, if this is going to be a recurring thing with him, we’re gonna start having problems again. And I thought we just became friends, too… 

Suguro’s face turns beet-red. “Worry? Who’s worrying? I’m not worrying!”  _ He’s totally worrying.  _

“Suguro!” We both look over to see my brother glaring at him. Everyone else is also staring at us. “If you’re done messing around with my sister, please put her down!”

It’s only now that I realize that he’s still holding me. Yukio does have a point, I suppose, although we weren’t really ‘messing around,’ whatever he meant by that. “Um, yeah, I can probably stand on my own now…” I say rather awkwardly. 

“Right… uh, here you go.” He sets me down on my feet gently. After a moment of wobbling (Suguro immediately puts out his arms to catch me if I fall, which I don’t), I’m steadily back on my feet. 

What’s strange about the past couple of minutes is that I didn’t really mind being held by Suguro. He has such strong and steady arms, and he’s so warm and comfortable to be with. I honestly wouldn’t mind waking up in his arms more often, whether he’s carrying me or not.  _ Wait, what are these thoughts?! I need to get these out of my head! Bad Rin! Stop thinking of that rooster like that! _

A few seconds later, as Suguro goes to check on Paku with everyone else, I’m distracted by the sound of someone crying, which no one else seems to hear. I investigate, and I find Kamiki, hiding behind some lockers, curled up in a ball and sobbing. “Hm?”  _ What’s she doing here? _

“My appearance… is mortifying…” she sobs, embarrassed. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

In this moment, I feel truly sorry for her. Her familiars turned against her, which means she must have slipped up somehow, and as a result, her friend was hurt badly. She had to be rescued, first by me, the one girl who should hate her the most, then by everyone else, and on top of that, she was in the middle of undressing for a bath, so she’s wearing nothing but her undergarments at the moment. There’s only one thing I can do. I stall for time by pretending to scrutinize her while I move my tail as stealthily as I can from my midsection so it’s pressed up against my back. This is the hardest part; it tickles, because of my fur rubbing up against my skin, but I have to keep a straight face the whole time. When I’m positive my tail is fully concealed behind me, I pull off my (Yukio’s) shirt, revealing the only thing I’m wearing underneath, a bra. I toss my now discarded t-shirt to Kamiki, and it lands on her head. She looks up in surprise, like she’d never expect this from me. She knows that I know how badly she treated my friend. I wonder if she also knows that this kindness I’m showing her right now is a one-time thing only. 

“Put that on, and then hurry up and go,” I tell her bluntly. 

She just stares at me incredulously for a moment, as if she can’t believe that either 1. I would help her out like this, or 2. I would just casually take off my shirt and stand in front of her in nothing but my bra and shorts after I just told her I was shy. Then she pulls on the shirt (if it was big on me, it’s  _ huge _ on her) and flees from the bathroom. 

I wait several seconds, then follow her out as quietly as I can, keeping my back to the wall so that no one sees my tail, even if they  _ are _ all focused on Paku. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see me with my tail exposed like this. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

Once everyone has dispersed for the night, Shima catches up to me on the way back to my temporary room and starts teasing me. 

“Bon,” he says, grinning, “if you like Rin, just tell her. It’s pretty much obvious to everyone else anyway, though.”

“Shut up, Shima,” I grumble, not in the mood for this.

“But you looked so happy when you were carrying her,” he says slyly. “I bet you wanted to carry her all the way to room 602, lay her down on the bed, and before that annoying brother of hers came to check on her—”

“Enough!” I shove Shima away from me and stomp down the corridor, leaving him behind. He’s right, though. I was a little disappointed when Rin woke up while we were still in the bathroom because I  _ did _ want to keep carrying her, but overall I’m glad she’s okay. And besides, who knows? I might have more chances in the future to hold her in my arms again. At least, I’m  _ hoping  _ for more opportunities. But I’ll never admit that to anyone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji and Izumo have a fight, everyone gets punished for it, and the surprise esquire exam happens. Also, Yukio may or may not be the dad friend.

Rin POV:

“Good morning,” a voice behind me says, and I look over my shoulder to see Kamiki coming down the stairs. 

I send a muffled reply through my toothpaste as I finish brushing my teeth at the dormatory’s communal sink. 

“Listen, okay?” Kamiki tells me harshly as I spit into the sink. “You’re not to tell anyone about how you saw me crying yesterday!”

“Who would I tell?” I don’t have a reason to tell anyone. Apart from how she treated Shiemi, I bear no grudge against her, and now that she’s leaving Shiemi alone, she seems like a halfway decent person. 

Kamiki seems satisfied with my answer, and gives me the object she brought with her: Yukio’s shirt. “Thank you for letting me borrow it,” she says. Looks like she’s having a tough time getting the words out and keeping her pride intact at the same time. “If you hadn't shown up, who knows what would have happened to me and Paku… So thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” I say, before I notice someone else approaching. “Good morning, little brother,” I say when he’s in hearing range. “Got your shirt back, just as I promised,” I tell him as I hold it up. He confronted me about it in our room last night, asking where it had gone. He noticed that I was missing from the bathroom after the incident with the demon, came to check our room, and found me rummaging around for a new shirt, wearing nothing but my shorts and bra, the shirt I was wearing before suspiciously absent. I told him that it went to a good cause, and that he’d be getting it back soon. 

Yukio inserts a needle into Paku’s arm and pushes down on the plunger, forcing the contents into her bloodstream. “You should be just fine now,” he reassures her. “In two or three more days, your fever will go down, and you should be up and about again.” As a doctor, his bedside manner is actually pretty good.  _ If he ever decided to give up exorcising, he would be a brilliant doctor.  _

“Thank you very much, Mr. Okumura,” says Paku gratefully. 

“Not at all,” he tells her, bowing his head modestly. “Well, then, make sure to get plenty of rest!” He gets up to leave. 

“Of course.”

“Get well soon,” I tell her sincerely, smiling at her as kindly as I can. 

“Thank you, Rin!” She smiles almost pitifully back at me, before I follow my brother out. 

“So what happened with that demon yesterday?” I ask him when it’s just us in the hallway. I blacked out last night from near-asphyxiation, and when I woke up, apparently only a minute or two later, it was just… gone. 

“We’re in the process of investigating how it got in and where it went. That was an above mid-class ghoul. The academy is protected with powerful wards, but very occasionally, the likes of that thing can penetrate it. We should all make sure to keep our guard up.” He’s right about that. A multitude of bad things could happen. More people might get hurt, my secret could be exposed, or another attack might happen when we’re least expecting it. I know one thing for sure, though. I must not, under any circumstances, fight that demon in front of the other students. If I draw my sword, it would be clear as day what I am, who I’m related to, and that can not happen. 

I lay on my back on the roof, one of the only places, it seems, where I can get some peace and quiet as my thoughts sort themselves out. I let my hair lay out on my right side so I’m not laying on it. 

_ The demon last night said he was under orders, but whose? Did he mean Satan? I had thought so at first, but now I’m not so sure. Last I remember, he was trying to bring me to Gehenna with him, not kill me, so he probably isn’t behind this. But if he’s not, who is? I have no ideas. But whoever it was, they were obviously targeting me specifically. Why me? Is it because I’m a demon myself now? Because I am the daughter of none other than Satan? And why can’t they face me themselves? My father told me that all kinds of people will come after me for all kinds of reasons. So the guy targeting me now… What’s his reason? Obviously he wants to kill me, but why? _

“Rin,” a voice says gently, and a face appears a few inches above mine. 

Instinctively, I try to jerk into a sitting position, but that turns out to be not such a good idea, since it ends with both of us yelling in pain and clutching our foreheads. 

“Hey! Don’t suddenly stick your head right over me like that!”

“Don’t you suddenly lift your head up like that!” Shiemi shoots back. “Stupid Rin!” She stands up and picks up the basket she apparently carried up here. 

“What are you doing?” I ask out of curiosity. 

“I was just bringing everyone’s sheets up here to dry.”

“Huh? Need a hand?”

“No, I’ll be fine on my own. Right, Nii?” She addresses her little familiar, who I hardly ever see her without anymore. 

“I see… Well, I’d better start getting ready for class, then.” I head towards the ladder, but then I think of something. “Actually, while I’m here,” I turn to face her. “You’re not actually trying to become an exorcist, are you?”

“I… I’m not sure,” Shiemi says. “But I’d at least like to be useful to everyone too…”

“Too?”

“Uh huh! Not just running errands, but using my own unique skills for everyone’s benefit!” Her grin is so bright that it rivals the sun. “So I’m starting with the washing!”

“Huh…” I’m not sure how this is any different from running errands, but whatever makes her happy, I guess. 

“I’d like someone to come to the front and fill in the missing section of this magical array,” requests Neuhaus. “Kamiki.” She doesn’t respond. She’s just staring off into space. “Kamiki!”

She jolts out of her trance. “Ah… I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention…”

“Something wrong?” our teacher asks, concerned. “That’s not like you.”

But he lets it go. 

In our next class, Holy Scripture Recitation, we are learning about fatal verses. “The majority of demons have specific passages, known as fatal verses, that will cause their death if properly recited,” our teacher lectures. “The basic skill of a qualified aria is to identify these fatal verses and recite them effectively! Now then, let’s hear you recite the passage I assigned for homework last time, psalm 30! Kamiki, if you would be so kind…” 

“Right!” She sounds ready this time. She begins reciting, then falters, and stops completely. 

“Yes…?” our teacher asks expectantly. She’s waiting for Kamiki to finish her recitation, but it never comes. 

“I… can’t remember…” She sounds embarrassed. 

“Dear me, Kamiki,” says our teacher apologetically. “This is a rare occurrence. Well then, Suguro, if you would!”

_ Suguro? _ Then, to my immense surprise, he recites the whole thing perfectly, as if reading straight from the book. 

Shiemi and I are staring at him, identical amazed expressions on our faces. When he finishes, he receives praise from our teacher. “A wonderful recitation indeed, Suguro! Absolutely perfect,” she says proudly. 

“Amazing! You really are smart after all, huh?” I say excitedly. I have to admit, I’m actually impressed. Hot  _ and  _ smart? Is there nothing this guy  _ can’t  _ do?

He ignores the ‘after all’ part, if he even heard it, and gives me a goofy little grin. “Ha ha, don’t go falling for me now, yeah? Unless you really want to.” I laugh along with him, but something tells me he actually does want me to fall for him.  _ Why? Was he flirting with me just now? _ I don’t know. This has never happened to me before, this whole being-flirted-with and suspecting-that-someone-might-actually-like-me thing. But… it seems to follow his recent behavioral trend, and despite (mostly) convincing myself that he doesn’t see me in a romantic light, I’m starting to not believe my own lies again. I could confront this right now… but I decide to ignore it for the time being.

“Don’t fall for him, fall for me,” Shima complains.  _ Um, excuse you, I can’t decide who I fall for.  _

“It’s not that Bon is smart,” comments Konekomaru, “he just has a talent for memorization.”

“Hey!”

“Is there some sort of trick to memorizing all that?” Shiemi asks. 

“A trick? Let’s see…” Suguro thinks. 

“Memorizing things like that is just plain showing off,” Kamiki interrupts before he can say anything. 

“Huh? Did you just say something?” Suguro says dangerously. 

_ Oh, no.  _ I think it’s best if I stay out of this, so I pick up the textbook and pretend to read.  _ Real convincing, Rin, you idiot. Everyone knows I’m not a bookish girl.  _

“Bon…” Konekomaru warns timidly. 

“I said,” Kamiki repeats, “memorization has absolutely nothing to do with academic abilities!” I try to focus on the words on the page, but it isn’t working. 

“Ooh! Big talk from a girl who can’t even memorize four lines!” Suguro taunts. 

Once again, poor Konekomaru tries to play peacemaker. “Come on, now… Kamiki is the most talented student in our class, you know? She’s just having a bad day, that’s all…” And once again, Konekomaru is ignored. 

“It’s not that I can’t memorize them!” She stands up. “I just choose not to! Who wants to be an aria? They’re completely defenseless while reciting, and have to rely on the rest of their party to protect them! They’re nothing more than baggage!”

“What was that?!” Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Suguro start moving toward her angrily. “I’ll have you know I’m studying to become an aria!”

She’s moving toward him too. At this rate, they’ll meet in the middle, just to the left of where I’m currently sitting. I’m really doing my best to try to stay out of it. “Oh, what’s this? You want to solve this with violence?” Kamiki taunts. “How scary! Just what I’d expect from a gorilla like yourself! Well, if you want to hit me, go ahead!”

He slams his hand down on my desk, right next to my elbow, and I jump a little in surprise. This is going to get ugly, I just know it. “You know what, I can’t stand you! Don’t go laughing at other people’s dreams!”

“Oh, of course… You wanted to ‘defeat Satan,’ isn’t that right? Hah. You expect me to do anything other than laugh at a joke like that?”  _ Hey, that’s my dream too! You’re one step away from getting me involved in this! _

“Well, what about you, then?! What’s your goal in trying to become an exorcist? Go on, say it!”

“Goal? I’ll have you know I have never told my personal goals to anyone! Not that I would expect a show-off like you to understand!”

I’m really attempting to remain calm and uninvolved, but these two are seriously trying my patience right now. 

“Why, you…” Suguro grabs a fistful of her shirt. She starts to throw a punch at him, but I’ve had enough of their fighting with me in between. I forcefully stand up and create a physical barrier between them with my body, knocking Kamiki’s punch off course (and by ‘off course’, I mean it hits me on the shoulder instead) and Suguro’s hand from her shirt. 

“That’s  _ enough _ !” I snap at them. “Are you in exorcist school or preschool?! Grow up, both of you!”

There isn’t a single person in this room who isn’t staring at me in total awe. 

“Now then,” scolds Yukio that evening, when we’re all back at the dorm. “Have you all had time to reflect on your bad behavior?” 

“Yes,  _ dad _ , we’ve all thought long and hard about our horrible life choices and have decided to repent for our sin of not being as perfect as you are,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. 

“Rin, please be serious…” Yukio says tiredly.

“No, I’m completely serious. It’s a legitimate holy sin to not be you, Yukio.” The eight deadly sins are greed, lust, gluttony, wrath, envy, sloth, pride, and not being the perfect human who is Yukio Okumura. 

“And why did you call me ‘dad’?”

“Oh, please. You might be our teacher, but you’re totally the dad friend. And you’re acting more and more like our old man every day, so there’s that too.” He might still be alive, but he’s in a coma and inaccessible to the world. Maybe that’s why Yukio is compelled to take his place. 

Most of my classmates start snickering at that, while Yukio sighs in exasperation. “Rin, you’re all here for a reason…”

All eight of us, my seven classmates and I, are lined up and on our knees, with baryons on our laps (demons that look like rocks and get heavier the longer you hold them).

“Yeah, why are we  _ all _ being punished again…?” I wonder aloud.  _ Especially since  _ I’m _ the one who broke up Suguro and Kamiki’s fight? _

“This is what we call ‘collective responsibility,’” Yukio explains. “The aims of this training camp are twofold. Firstly, to increase your abilities, and secondly, to deepen your relations with your fellow students.”

“I refuse to get along with these brutes,” Kamiki declares resolutely.  _ Look where that got us!  _

“Why, you…” Suguro growls. 

“I’m afraid that you will have to,” Yukio says, irate. “No exorcist can fight alone! Making use of one another’s specialties and compensating for one another’s weak points… Fighting in a party of two or more is basic procedure for any exorcist. If you were to fall out like this in an actual battle, you would face collective responsibility on an entirely different level from this simple punishment. I would like you to think carefully about that.” He checks his watch. “Now then, I have a minor mission to attend to, so I will be leaving for about three hours. However, considering the incident with the ghoul yesterday, I will be locking all entrances and exits to this building, and putting up powerful wards around it, just in case.”

“Locking the exits?” Suguro questions with a scowl on his face. “How are we meant to get out of here, then?”

“There will be no need for you to leave.” I swear that Yukio is looking down his nose at us. Then he puts on his sweetest, most innocent smile, but the words he says next are anything but. “I would like you to stay as you are for the next three hours. See if you can’t get along with one another and cool your heads off a little.” Then he’s gone. 

I stare after him in disbelief. We still have these rock demons on our thighs, and they only get heavier. By the time he gets back, our legs will all be crushed. We might not have been raised by the guy, but he is definitely Satan’s son. Which, I suppose, would prove that he really is my brother, if you think about it… 

“Three hours,” groans Shima. “What is he, a monster?”  _ Something like that, yeah. He is.  _

Suguro turns his head to look at me. “Are you and that teacher seriously related?!”

“He’s a good guy, really… I think…” I’m not so sure anymore, even though we’ve been together our entire lives. This is not the brother I grew up with. 

“Well, this is a fine mess someone’s gone and got us all into,” he says, annoyed. Three guesses who he’s talking about. 

“Bon…” Shima warns. 

“Huh?!” Of course Kamiki would take the bait. “Says the brute who was manhandling me by the chest back there!”  _ What chest? _ I think bitterly.  _ Does she even realize how flat she is? She’s an A-cup at best, if even that.  _ Usually I wouldn’t go there, but she’s being a special kind of annoying right now. 

“Weren’t we told to cool off our heads a little…?” But, as always, no one listens to poor little Konekomaru. 

“You’re the one who was practically begging for a fight!” Suguro yells at her. Right. In. My. Ear. Which has become much more sensitive since the day I first drew Kurikara. So it rather hurt. 

“Can you two stop having fights with me in the middle, already?!” I shout. They are literally right next to me, with Suguro on my immediate left and Kamiki on my immediate right. I don’t hate either of them, but I’m getting close. 

Neither acknowledges me, but at least Suguro’s next words are quieter as he speaks to Kamiki behind my head. “You really are one nasty piece of work,” he growls lowly as he glares at her. 

“Hah. I’m perfectly aware of that, thank you. And?” Kamiki asks expectantly.  _ How conceited could you get?! _

“You’ll make every person around you run for the hills acting like that.” He doesn’t stop glaring at her. 

But then all the lights go out. Startled cries fill the air, and I think we all simultaneously try to get up to find out what happened. This results in the baryons falling to the ground with enormous crashes. Of course, mine lands on my foot before rolling to the ground. I let out an involuntary cry of pain and I’m still clutching my hurt foot when Shima illuminates the place with light from his phone. We all follow his example. 

“That idiot teacher! Did he go and cut the power?” Suguro says rather angrily. That ‘idiot teacher’ is my younger twin brother, but I have to agree with my classmate. What’s Yukio thinking? Unless this is a coincidence, but I highly doubt it. 

“Surely he wouldn’t…” Little Konekomaru has his head in his hands. 

“A blackout?” Kamiki asks. But there are still lights outside, illuminating the rest of campus, so it’s just us. 

“No… I can still see lights out there through the window.”

“What’s that mean, then?”

“The blackout is restricted to this building…?” I guess.  _ Why? _

“Let’s go check out the corridor,” suggests Shima. 

“Be careful out there, Shima,” warns Konekomaru.

But Shima only gives a light laugh. “To tell the truth, I kinda like incidents like this. It’s a real life test of courage,” he says as he opens the door. And immediately closes it again. There was something out there. “That’s odd… Am I seeing things?”

A second later, the thing breaks through the door, and Shima screams, darting into my arms with a “Protect me, my love!” since I am closest. I’m not really one of his friends, but he seems happy enough with me. Especially since his arms are around my waist and his face is between my breasts. And… ‘my love’? He’s surely just joking around, right? I don’t really care, but we don’t have time for this, so I shove him off and turn my attention to the demon in front of us. 

“It’s the ghoul from yesterday!” Kamiki gasps. I also recognize it. How did it get in again? I thought Yukio put up wards!

Suddenly, something explodes, and we are sprayed with a strange substance. Before the demon can come any closer, Shiemi’s familiar, Nii, creates some sort of tree barrier between it and us. But we don’t have long to congratulate her before we start dropping like flies. Everyone who is fully human does, anyway. 

“Huh? What’s wrong, guys?” I say frantically. I have no idea what’s going on and I’m concerned about my classmates.

“It’s because of that liquid the ghoul sprayed at us just now,” explains Kamiki. “Are you… not affected?” It’s true, I’m the only one still standing. Literally. I can only guess that it’s because I’m a demon, but I can’t exactly tell them that. 

“It looks like… thanks to Moriyama’s quick thinking, we’re safe for now,” says Suguro, “but when her stamina runs out, this tree barricade will disappear. When that happens, we really are done for…”

We need help. Now. I pull out my phone and dial my brother’s number. It goes to voicemail. “I can’t get a hold of Yukio’s mobile either…!”  _ Where is he?! Why isn’t he answering?! Is he so busy that he can’t help out his own sister when she’s in a crisis? _

“Those things are really going at it over there!” says a terrified Shima. 

“Ghouls are more active in the dark than they are in the light…” Suguro says, probably thinking aloud. 

_ Come on, Rin, think! What should I do? _ Sooner or later, they will get through that barrier, and then how will we fight them? From what I can tell, there are two of them, so at least they’re outnumbered, but we don’t know their strength. I could probably take them both out, no problem, if I could draw my sword, but there’s no way everyone here wouldn’t see it. And I can’t have that. My secret would be exposed in no time.  _ So I just need to be somewhere else… Wait, more active in the dark?  _ And that gives me an idea. A stupid, reckless idea that might just work. 

“Two of them, huh…?” I know exactly what to do. “I’ll head outside and draw them off,” I decide. “If I can get both of them following me, then the rest of you run for it. If they don’t follow me, I’ll see what I can do about finding help or at least getting some light in here.” I won’t allow them to stop me. I’m the only one who isn’t affected by the miasma, and I’m a lot stronger than everyone else knows. But I can’t let them see me using my power, so leading the demons away is the perfect cover for that. 

“What?!” Suguro shouts. “What are you talking about?!”

“Are you crazy?!” Konekomaru cries. 

“Don’t you worry about me. I’m pretty strong,” I say as I climb through a small hole in the barrier. 

“Hey!” Suguro yells. “Rin, get back here!”  _ Finally calling me by my first name, I see.  _ But I ignore him. I have to do this if I’m going to save them, but, truth be told, I’m actually looking forward to a fight. I can finally test out my power for real. 

I immediately see the ghouls. “Hey! Come get me, you ugly freaks!” I was trying to get their attention, and it works. “Bring it on!” I shout as I turn and run down the hallway as they try to attack me. But only one follows me.  _ It’ll have to do, I suppose. I’m sorry, everyone. You’ll have to take care of the other one. _ I decide to go find some light for the others as I lead this one away from them. 

I find the switchboard after some searching, and I see that all the electricity has been turned off. I’m thinking that all I have to do is flip the switches back on when I’m attacked from behind.  _ Right. Demon. Tch. How annoying. _

I ignite my blue flames. “Don’t get in my way!” I shout at the ghoul. 

“That’s right,” says a creepy voice behind me.  _ I know that voice.  _ “Those are the flames I wanted to see. Those blue, blue flames.” I spin around, and in the darkness, behind the ghoul, I can see the shape of a man. “I deduced that you would not use your flames in front of the others, so I lured you out here, Rin Okumura, daughter of Satan.”

The thing that scares me the most isn’t that he came out of nowhere — it’s that I know him. “You’re one of our teachers,” I say, shocked. He’s the one who taught us about familiars the other day. Mr. Neuhaus. I recognize him by his eyepatch. That explains the ghoul. It’s his familiar. It must be. “So yesterday’s attack, and today’s… they were both your doing?”

I hate that he doesn’t deny it. “Indeed they were.” He nods. He actually seems proud of himself.  _ Great, so you can attack a bunch of kids. Yeah, you need so much talent for that. _ “But enough talk. I want to see more of those flames of yours!”

I oblige by pulling out my sword, but only so I can kill the demon. “I’ll never forgive you!” I scream as I drive Kurikara into the demon’s body.  _ Because of this man, Paku was hurt, Kamiki’s familiars have turned against her, and most of my friends (wait, I think of them as my friends now?) are suffering upstairs because of a poisonous liquid that only had no effect on me because I’m a demon. _ The ghoul in front of me disappears in a column of blue flames.

“Yes, I see…” murmurs Neuhaus, melting back into the shadows. 

“Hey, wait!” I yell. Then I realize it’s no use, and time is of the essence. “No, this is no time to be messing around…”

I flip the electricity back on again, hide my flames and tail (which always seems to come out whenever I use my powers), and head back upstairs. By now, the lights should have weakened the demon up there, and it should be taken care of by now. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

“Three hours,” groans Shima when Mr. Okumura has left us alone. “What is he, a monster?”

I turn to Rin. “Are you and that teacher seriously related?!” There is no earthly way a demon like him could be related to an angel like her. Even if he seems to be completely human, he acts like he takes pleasure in others’ suffering. Meanwhile, even though I’m 99 percent sure Rin’s half demon, she might just be more kind than the rest of us. 

“He’s a good guy, really… I think…” She seems uncertain, which leads me to believe that he isn’t the same person as he was growing up with her. Which gets me wondering, what  _ was _ he like back then? What kind of person was he up until recently? But now I have to focus on the situation we’re in at the present moment.

“Well, this is a fine mess someone’s gone and got us all into,” I grumble. It’s all Kamiki’s fault. 

“Bon…” Shima warns. 

“Huh?! Says the brute who was manhandling me by the chest back there!” Kamiki shoots back.

“Weren’t we told to cool off our heads a little…?” But, as always, no one listens to poor little Konekomaru. 

“You’re the one who was practically begging for a fight!” I yell at her. She just had to go and provoke me like that, and for what?! Her pride or whatever?!

“Can you two stop having fights with me in the middle, already?!” Rin shouts. Only now do I realize that I literally just yelled right into her pointy ear, and she looks like she’s in a bit of discomfort from the volume of my voice. 

I try to be quieter as I continue. “You really are one nasty piece of work,” I growl at Kamiki. 

“Hah. I’m perfectly aware of that, thank you. And?” Kamiki scoffs, almost expectantly.  _ She knows and she doesn’t care that she has the worst attitude of anyone I’ve met?! How could she possibly be like this?! _

“You’ll make every person around you run for the hills acting like that.” I glare at her, hoping she’ll get the point.

But then all the lights go out. Startled cries fill the air, and, based off the sound, I think we all simultaneously try to get up to find out what happened. This results in the baryons falling to the ground with enormous crashes. I hear Rin let out an involuntary cry of pain, and when Shima illuminates the place with light from his phone, I can see her clutching her foot. Hers must have fallen on her toes when she stood. We all follow Shima’s example with the lights on our phones. 

“That idiot teacher! Did he go and cut the power?” I say angrily. Someone could have been seriously hurt! I know Mr. Okumura’s a smart guy and all, but that doesn’t exempt him from stupid actions. 

“Surely he wouldn’t…” Koneko has his head in his hands. 

“A blackout?” Kamiki asks. But there are still lights outside, illuminating the rest of campus, so it’s just us. 

“No… I can still see lights out there through the window.”

“What’s that mean, then?”

“The blackout is restricted to this building…?” Rin guesses.

“Let’s go check out the corridor,” suggests Shima. 

“Be careful out there, Shima,” warns Konekomaru.

But Shima only gives a light laugh. “To tell the truth, I kinda like incidents like this. It’s a real life test of courage,” he says as he opens the door. And immediately closes it again. There was something out there. “That’s odd… Am I seeing things?”

A second later, the thing breaks through the door, and Shima screams and darts into Rin’s arms, since she is closest to him. “Protect me, my love!” he shouts as he puts his arms around her waist and his face between her breasts.  _ Wait, ‘my love’? Don’t tell me that he likes her too! No, I’m overthinking it. This isn’t unusual for him, right?  _ She shoves him off her, paying him no mind (to my utter satisfaction), and focusing, instead, on the thing that has just invaded the room. It actually makes me really happy that she’s not responding to his advances. Not that there’s any time for her to do so, anyway. 

“It’s the ghoul from yesterday!” Kamiki gasps. I only got a brief glimpse of the thing last night before Mr. Okumura shot it and it disappeared, but I’m pretty sure she’s right.

Suddenly, something explodes, and we are all sprayed with a strange substance. Before the demon can come any closer, Moriyama’s familiar, Nii, creates some sort of tree barrier between it and us. But we don’t have long to congratulate her before, thanks to the spray, we all start dropping like flies. Well, almost all of us.

“Huh? What’s wrong, guys?” Rin says frantically.  _ How the holy heck is she still standing?! _

“It’s because of that liquid the ghoul sprayed at us just now,” explains Kamiki. “Are you… not affected?” She looks like she might have an idea why, but she also looks like she’s not about to tell us any time soon. So I change the subject. 

“It looks like… thanks to Moriyama’s quick thinking, we’re safe for now,” I say, “but when her stamina runs out, this tree barricade will disappear. When that happens, we really are done for…” My own strength is also compromised right now. It’s because of that toxic Gehennan liquid. 

Rin pulls out her phone and dials a number. Apparently, it goes to voicemail. “I can’t get a hold of Yukio’s mobile either…!”

“Those things are really going at it over there!” says Shima, terrified. 

“Ghouls are more active in the dark than they are in the light…” I say, thinking aloud. 

“Two of them, huh…?” Rin ponders. Suddenly, she looks like she has an idea. I don’t like the look in her eye. “I’ll head outside and draw them off,” she says boldly. “If I can get both of them following me, then the rest of you run for it. If they don’t follow me, I’ll see what I can do about finding help or at least getting some light in here.” 

“What?!” I shout.  _ What is she doing?! _ “What are you talking about?!”

“Are you crazy?!” Konekomaru cries. 

“Don’t you worry about me. I’m pretty strong,” she says as she climbs through a small hole in the barrier. 

“Hey!” I yell. “Rin, get back here!” Yeah, guess what she doesn’t do. Doesn’t she ever listen to anyone?!

I hear her yell, “Hey! Come get me, you ugly freaks! Bring it on!” But, as I hear her footsteps receding, it seems that she manages to get one of them to chase her out. Which means we have to deal with the other.

“What a woman…” Shima says in awe when she’s gone. “She only managed to get rid of one of them, though…!”

Honestly, I’m glad only one followed her. I don’t know how she’ll do against one, but two would be a stretch for anyone. I don’t care how strong she says she is. Moriyama is panting beside me, and it’s clear we don’t have long before her stamina gives out. “It’s not like just sitting here doing nothing is a choice right now…” We have to fight the one that stayed here. “I’m gonna try a recital!” If I could just find its fatal verse…

“Bon…” gapes Shima. “But you don’t know this thing’s fatal verse, surely?!”

“I don’t, no,” I admit, “but I do know that ghoul-type demons’ fatal verses tend to come out of the Gospel of St. John. I’ve memorized the whole thing already, so if I just recite it all, it’ll respond to something!” I know I’m shooting in the dark here. I know this is a huge gamble. If I start reciting, I’ll be completely vulnerable.

“All of it?! There are more than twenty chapters, aren’t there?!”

“There are twenty-one…” supplies Konekomaru.

“Koneko!”

“I’ve memorized chapters one through ten myself. Allow me to help,” he offers

“Konekomaru!” I’m surprised but grateful. This’ll save us a lot of precious time. “Thanks!”

“Wait! Hold on just one moment!”  _ Oh, look who decided to contribute. Kamiki.  _ “If you start reciting that, they’ll go for you the moment they break through!”

“Is this really the time?!” I point at Moriyama. “That girl’s working her butt off there! You expect us guys to just stand here and do nothing?!” Am I the only one around here who has any sense?!

“That’s our Bon for ya…” Shima grins. “He’s a real man.” Suddenly his staff is in his hands. “Well, I haven’t memorized a single verse of that thing, so I’ll be your backup if it comes to that.”

“Shima…”  _ Just where were you keeping that thing?  _ It’s about as tall as he is, and even broken up it wouldn’t be easily concealed.

“Th… this is insane!” Kamiki stammers.

_ She is so annoying. _ “You’ve been acting tough this whole time. But when push comes to shove, you just wanna run? If you’re not gonna fight, just stay back.” I don’t have time to deal with her right now. “Konekomaru, you start from chapter 1, and I’ll start from chapter 11. Don’t let me put you off!” I instruct him.

“Right!”

“Let’s do this.” Together, we begin reciting.

Ten chapters later, Koneko finishes before I do. Miraculously, the ghoul hasn’t broken through the barrier yet. I’m on the final chapter when something happens.

“Moriyama!” I have my eyes closed so I can focus, but I can hear a  _ thud _ as she collapses, hitting the ground.  _ There goes our shield. _ But I keep going, reciting every single word properly. 

I can hear fighting going on around me, but I ignore it. Kamiki summons her foxes, and if they weren’t obeying her before, they are now, since she asserted her dominance over them. The demon comes after me next, and the others are able to protect me for a little while, but it breaks through them and gets a hold of me. Still I keep going. Then the lights come on, and I assume Rin did her job. Finally, I say the demon’s fatal verse and it disappears. Just in time, too. 

Whatever composure I had while reciting is gone now. I collapse to my knees breathing heavily. The aftershocks of terror are beginning to catch up with me. “I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead…” I gasp. I’m totally covered in sweat.

  
  


Rin POV:

“I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead…” I hear Suguro gasping in shock and fear as I approach the room. I’m guessing they just finished fighting their demon. 

“Hey!” I say, announcing my presence.  _ Why is everyone staring at me like that? _ “Are you okay?”

“Y-you… where’s the other…?” Suguro stammers. He looks completely awestruck to see me come back without mine.

“Hm? Oh, I beat it!” I say as if it were an easy thing to do (it was, but I’m not going to tell them exactly  _ how _ easy it was for me, since they all look as though they’ve been through the wringer). I try to give as reassuring a smile as I can. Their demon seems to be gone as well. “You guys beat the other one too? Nice go—” I’m cut off by the sound of Suguro’s feet slamming rapidly into the ground as he rushes toward me. 

“What is wrong with you, you idiot?!” He lunges towards me and I honestly think he’s going to punch me in the face, but instead he does the last thing I expect and pulls me into a hug. “Were you trying to get yourself killed? I almost died back there!” He buries his face in the crook of my neck, holding me as if I’ll be ripped from his side at any moment. I can feel his stubble of a beard scratching my skin.  _ Hang on. Back up a bit. What’s with his behavior? Was he really worried about me? Since when is big important Suguro worried about little insignificant Rin? Does this mean he is, in fact, my friend now? _ I am confused at his sudden change of attitude, but I’ll accept it.  _ And anyway, having friends is much better than having enemies, right? Besides, getting a hug, especially from him… really isn’t all that bad. Actually, come to think of it, he didn’t seem to mind carrying me yesterday… not that I minded either… What is wrong with me all of a sudden?! Why am I so attracted to him?! I mean, everyone’s attractive to me, but why Suguro more than everyone else?! _

I put my arms around him and pat him on the back awkwardly. “It’s okay,” I say, trying to reassure him. My lips accidentally brush up lightly against something, maybe his ear, because I can feel the edge of a tiny ring of cold metal sticking out of soft flesh. One of his earrings. “I told you before that I’m strong. Did you not believe me?”

He releases me from the hug but grabs my shoulders instead. “I don’t care how strong you are. Never go off on your own like that again, because there’s always a chance that you could be killed when there’s no one to protect you, and anyway, exorcists are supposed to work in groups. Didn’t Mr. Okumura tell us that exact same thing right before he left earlier?” He did, but I think he’ll understand why I went off on my own. 

“What on earth…” Oh, great. Speak of the devil, and the devil, or in this case the devil’s son, shall appear. And with him is Mr. Neuhaus, the very teacher who attacked us. Or, rather, the one who summoned two demons and made  _ them _ attack us.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquire exam ends, and Rin receives an unwelcome visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry it’s been a little while since the last update. I’ve been kinda busy with school and work. I’ll try to be better about it!

Rin POV:

__ Yukio surveys the damage around the room before his eyes settle on me and Suguro. Only now do I realize that Suguro is still gripping my shoulders. My brother scowls at my classmate. “Hands off,” he growls very possessively. “ _ Now. _ ”  _ Oh my god, Dad, _ I think as sarcastically as possible, rolling my eyes. There’s a reason I compared him to our adoptive dad earlier. Suguro removes his hands from my shoulders so fast that you’d have thought I was on fire. 

_ What is Neuhaus doing here, though? He attacked us, but he’s our teacher? _ _ Is he an enemy or an ally? _ I’m about to warn Yukio when I feel something slam into my back, and I’m knocked to the ground. 

“Oh, my. Excuse me,” says the voice that surely belongs to the owner of the foot on my back.  _ That better not be who I think it is…  _ I look up to see my assailant hanging from the ledge of a missing panel on the ceiling. Well, at least he’s not directly on my poor, sensitive tail. “Alright, thanks for all your hard work, pages!”

“Mephisto?!”  _ Forget about Neuhaus, what is Mephisto himself doing here? _

“Isn’t… isn’t that the chairman?”

“What’s he doing here?”

“Of course there was a reason why I, the chairman, would allow the invasion of upper class demons!” Mephisto says, practically sparkling. He hops off my back so I can get up. Suddenly instructors are popping out of the ceiling and floorboards and closets. “These doctor class exorcists will treat everyone’s wounds,” Mephisto tells us. “That’s right!” He flourishes his cape in a flamboyant manner. “Don’t you see? This training camp has also served a purpose as the esquire authorization exam!”  _ The what?! Is he serious?!  _ “While you were lodging together, I posted these teachers everywhere to act as judges. We tested all of you with a fine-toothed comb. Afterwards I’ll read the teachers’ reports, and make my final decision about who has passed the exam. Please look forward to tomorrow’s announcement!” He finishes with a wink. 

“I can’t believe it,” I groan. “So it was a surprise test. We were completely deceived!” We’re in a makeshift sick ward, which also serves as a waiting room while we wait for Shiemi to wake up. She had apparently burned through quite a lot of stamina to keep up the barrier, on top of being ill from that demon’s fluid, and is sleeping now. I’m sitting beside her on her bed while Suguro and Kamiki are in nearby chairs and Shima and Konekomaru are sitting on the bed across from me and Shiemi. 

“We should have at least considered the possibility, right?” Shima asks with a bit of uncertainty. 

“I wonder if I did okay,” Konekomaru worries, head in his hands. 

“It’s useless to think about that stuff right now,” says Suguro. 

“Bon and Shima are going to be fine! But when it comes to me, it’s like I can barely stand on my own two feet!” I have to agree with Suguro, it’s completely useless for Konekomaru to be worried about it right now. Besides, I don’t ever believe that a person is worthless, as Konekomaru seems to think of himself. 

“You guys will be fine, right?” Kamiki asks. “Before the exam, Mr. Okumura kept reminding us of the importance of teamwork. In other words, the quality desired for exorcists is the ability to cooperate while fighting. And so that means I’d be the worst out of all of us, right?”  _ Cooperate? That’s the last thing I could be accused of doing tonight. I straight up abandoned everyone to fight the demons on my own and get the lights back on. It was to protect them, yeah, but still.  _

“You sure aren’t the worst one here,” Suguro points out, looking purposefully at the two silent ones. For the first time, I notice that they’re here. They never speak, so at some point, I think I forgot they even existed for a little while. “Those guys decided to just sit off to the sidelines the entire time!” he says angrily. “Got anything to say for yourselves?” he demands. 

The one in the sweatshirt only comments on their game in a bored voice. “Alright, I just got the claw of the scaly dragon. Equipping, equipping…”

The boy with the puppet says, or, rather, makes the puppet say, “Shut up, you stupid brats! There’s nothing I wanna say to you!”

While Suguro growls menacingly at them, I can’t help but be amazed that they actually spoke.  _ They’ve always been so mysterious, and that one guy is a ventriloquist! Who knew, right? _ Then I hear Shiemi stirring behind me. I turn around to find her waking up. 

“Ugh…” she groans, rubbing her eyes. 

“Sorry…” I apologize. “We woke you up.”  _ We weren’t exactly quiet while she was sleeping.  _

“No, it’s okay,” she says groggily, trying to push herself into a sitting position. She seems to be having trouble, so I help her up and prop up some pillows behind her back so she can see us all properly. “I’m a lot better now. What’s everyone talking about?”

“We’re talking about the exams,” says Shima. 

“I’m sure Moriyama will be the honor student out of us,” Konekomaru says confidently. 

Suguro bows his head respectfully toward her. “I shudder to think what could have happened to you, Moriyama,” he says humbly. “Thank you so much.”

“Huh?!” She’s so cute when she’s flustered. “That’s very kind of you!”

It’s true, though, that if she doesn’t pass the exam, no one else will have a chance. There’s no need for her to be embarrassed about it, but it seems she is. So she’s probably relieved when Konekomaru changes the subject. But I’m not.

“Oh, yeah, Rin,” he says to me. “How’d you manage to beat that ghoul?”

_ Well, crap. _ I was really hoping that no one would ask, but I guess that’s too much to expect with these people. I can’t exactly tell them what really happened, but lying is out of the question too since I can’t think of any other plausible explanation without having a suspicious pause. So I tell them the essence of what happened. “Ah, that,” I say, probably looking too guilty as I try not to look too guilty, “I just stabbed it with my sword.”

“Wow!” Konekomaru says excitedly. “Just like a knight, huh…”

“Yeah,” says Shima. “And it’s kinda ironic, don’t you think?”

“How?” I ask. 

“You’re training to become a knight, but you actually look more like a princess. And since knights usually save princesses in stories…” He shrugs, trailing off. He doesn’t need to continue, his point having been made quite clearly. 

But he couldn’t possibly know the truth, could he? That I’m an actual demon princess (if what I’ve been told by other demons is to be believed)? I just laugh it off. “Ha! Really, Shima, you need to work on your jokes. As if a person like me could ever be royalty!”

But Suguro isn’t so quick to change the subject as Shima is. “Hold on, what do you mean, you stabbed it with your sword?” he demands. “That’s too vague!”  _ How is that vague? _ “To me, you’re the biggest mystery of them all.”

_ Well, I am keeping a pretty big secret from everyone. So he’s not wrong. Although, I get the feeling he suspects I’m not completely human. Just as long as he doesn’t find out what I really am, though, I think I’ll be okay. As long as no one knows which demon I’m related to, I’m safe. So I’ll let him keep wondering about my mysteriousness for a little while longer.  _

Hours later, everyone else is gone and I’m fast asleep. I probably shouldn’t be, since I’m alone in the dorm building, but I was so tired that I was out like a light the instant my head hit the pillow. 

Suddenly, something wakes me up. Whether it’s the thumping sound that seems to come from somewhere close by, or the person shaking me awake right now, I’ll probably never be sure. 

“Shiemi!” I cry out when I see her face so close to mine. I thought she went back home, like the others did! Doesn’t matter now. “What are you doing here?”

“Shh!” She shushes me. “You didn’t wake up, so Yuki carried you to a different room! Yuki said we should stay here, but… I wonder what’s happening?”

There’s another loud noise from the other room. 

“Shiemi, stay here,” I order her. “I don’t care what you hear, but don’t move from this spot until I give you the all-clear. Do you understand?” When she nods silently, I leave her. 

I have a bad feeling about this. I’m in defense mode as I follow the sounds of fighting to the roof. From what I can tell from the sound of it, Yukio is fighting someone, but who? I reach the fight and see my brother fighting Neuhaus. And a rather large demon that Neuhaus has likely summoned. I don’t hesitate. 

One second, I’m standing several meters away, and the next, I’m right there, ears long, tail out, and on fire (which I can apparently do without drawing the Koma sword), preparing to send a flying punch at Neuhaus. “You piece of filth!” I scream. “So you were an enemy all along!”

As I reach him, something explodes between us. I’m showered with —  _ This isn’t regular water, _ I realize in horror.  __ It’s actually  _ burning _ me. _ It’s holy water! Of course it burns me, I’m a demon! _ I shriek in agony and try to pat myself dry while Neuhaus laughs in utter delight. 

“So holy water still works even though you’re clothed in human skin! It means you can’t hide your true character after all!” While he talks, the stinging goes away. “Still, it doesn’t do a lot of damage, huh…” He sounds mildly disappointed. “You filthy monster!” I don’t have any time to say anything before his familiar ambushes me from my left hand side. It grabs me tight in its large hands. “Die!” Then it suddenly disappears, and I have Yukio to thank for that: he erased the magic circle. 

While Neuhaus is distracted, my sword finds its way to his throat. “Just who are you?” I growl. 

He doesn’t look like he wants to answer. Instead, he holds out his arm, which is covered with several magic circles, and prepares to use one. 

“Mr. Neuhaus!” Yukio calls out. “For the sake of your body, stop summoning such high level demons! Do you want to die from blood loss?” He has a point, so Neuhaus doesn’t summon anything else for the moment. Instead, he answers my question. 

“I,” he explains as he looks me dead in the eye, “am a survivor of the Blue Night. Just for a moment, while my body was taken over by Satan, I lost my eye.” He lifts his eyepatch and shows me what’s underneath. “And I lost my family, who approached me and tried to help me. I’ll never forgive Satan and all those who go by the name of demon! Not to mention someone like the daughter of Satan! I’ll kill you… even if I have to exchange it for my life!”

I feel a stabbing pain on the left side of my abdomen. He has used one of the seals he has on his arms to summon something, the limb of a demon, most likely, to impale me. I cough up blood, and the pain is intense, but steadily getting less so after I use Kurikara to slice the limb off the rest of whatever it’s attached to. This must mean that I’m healing. The look of shock on his face is enough to make me smirk. 

“You worried?” I say, blood dripping down my chin. “If this isn’t enough for you, don’t be, because I’ll fight you as many times as it takes! As many times as you want!” I sheathe Kurikara, because we’re done here. “Just don’t get innocent bystanders involved!”

“You really think it’s over, just like that? There’s another guy who’s like me. You should prepare yourselves!” Then Neuhaus retreats, just like that. 

“Sister!” Yukio scolds. “What were you thinking?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” I insist. “Since I’m already like this…” I lift up my shirt a little, to show the place I was impaled. 

“It’s already closed up!” Yukio says in disbelief. 

“Since my wound healed so quickly, I guess there’s no doubt that I really am a monster, brother.” I laugh at the irony of it all as I pull my shirt down again, since I’ve always been called a demon without knowing that I actually am one. 

“Rin!”  _ Shiemi?! When did she get up here?  _ She’s running toward me. I immediately grab my tail and hide it behind my back so she doesn’t see it.  _ I thought I told her to stay downstairs until I told her otherwise! _ “Yuki…”

“Shiemi,” he greets her politely. 

“Rin, what happened?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” I say as I messily shove my tail down the back of my pajama pants so that Shiemi doesn’t see it, “I’m alright.”

Then she sees the blood on my tank top. “Is that a demon’s mashou?! If I don’t treat it right now…”

“I’m all good, really! No sweat!” I insist. I don’t need her worrying about me like this. I’m fine. I don’t need treatment for a demon’s mashou because I already  _ am _ a demon myself, and I can heal quickly. 

“No you’re not!” I nearly cower behind Yukio. Shiemi hardly  _ ever  _ yells like this. She kneels down on the ground and points to the spot in front of her. “Alright, lie down here!” she orders me. “You mustn’t overdo it!”

“Okay…” I just decide to do as she says, since it’ll just be too much effort to argue. As she ‘heals’ me, I can’t help but say, “Thanks. I think I’m getting all better!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the exam. Yukio and Rin talk about crushes (on Shiemi and Ryuuji, respectively) and vehemently deny that they exist. Yukio makes a sexist comment and pays for it. Rin notices something odd about her body, tags along with Yukio on a mission, and meets Kuro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day, everyone! As a gift to you all, I’m posting two chapters today. Enjoy!

Rin POV

“So… hot…” I groan as I drag myself into my and Yukio’s dorm room, carrying a plastic shopping bag. I’m nothing but grateful that it’s Sunday; no school means I can wear whatever I want. Short shorts, loose-ish low-cut tank top that successfully hides my tail (and has earned me more than a few stares), sandals, and a braid that Yukio has done for me. Ugh… times like these are the ones in which I most hate having long hair, even if it  _ is _ balanced out with my cool, comfortable clothes. No stuffy school uniform for me, thank you.  _ Oh, that reminds me. _ I let my tail loose too, now that I’m in the privacy of my own (temporary) home. That feels much better. My fur was starting to stick to my sweaty skin, and that’s a lot less comfortable than people think. 

“Welcome back, sister,” my brother greets me from his desk. Cram school teacher or not, he’s still a first-year student at the regular school, so he too has homework assignments. 

“The store was so crowded it took me ages,” I complain as I sit down at my own desk and retrieve the spoils of my shopping trip from the bag. “Oh, no! My popsicle is melting!” I tear open the package and bite into the popsicle to ensure that any further melting of my icy treat occurs in my stomach. 

“What about my mineral water?” Yukio asks. 

“Huh?”  _ Oh crap.  _ “Oh, sorry, I forgot… wanna eat my popsicle instead?” I offer as some small gesture of retribution. 

“I don’t want it, it’s fine. I’ll go out and buy it myself later,” he says politely, but I can still tell he’s a little peeved about it. 

“I’m sorry…” I apologize again meekly, and after finishing off my popsicle, I begin my homework. 

The day after the exam, we found out we had all been promoted to esquire. This means we can all start going on low-level missions, but so far I’ve been assigned none. So, here I am, doing homework with my brother on a Sunday. 

After half an hour of working, though, I groan and push my books away from myself. “Man, I hate spending a Sunday like this… even though I worked my butt off to become an esquire, all I do is study, so it’s the same as being a page!” Yukio seems content to let me rant, so I continue. “Plus, if you look at this,” I hold up a chart of the rankings of exorcists, “aren’t esquires just plebs? Where are you on here?”

“I’m a middle first class,” my twin answers shortly. 

I study the chart again. “So it’s gonna take forever to get to the highest level, a paladin. Man, I wanna hurry up and do some real work so I can get some hands-on experience…”

“‘Paladin’ is the strongest title that is only ever awarded to one person at a time,” says Yukio seriously. “It’s not given to just anyone. For goodness sakes, Rin, for the time being, we’re not even letting you do any missions.”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

“You often disregard orders and act on your own.”  _ Okay, fair enough. _ “It’s not surprising, considering at your age you can’t even run an errand properly.”  _ Really, Yukio? Was that actually necessary? That’s hitting a little below the belt, isn’t it? _

“Hey, I said I was sorry! It was an accident!”

“There’s more to it than that,” he continues. “Your fighting style relies too much on Satan’s power. You should also cure your bad habit of immediately drawing your sword, and no matter how quickly your injuries heal, you’d better stop using your own body as a shield when you’re out of tricks. If you keep doing it, sooner or later you’re going to be completely controlled by Satan’s power.”

“Tch! So now you’re preaching to me? I told you that you’re becoming just like our old man, didn’t I? Here’s the proof!”

“I’m saying this for your benefit, sister! When are you going to get out of this rebellious phase of yours and actually grow up?” He’s shouting now. 

“You’re the one who needs to grow up, brother!” I yell, my tail swinging back and forth angrily. “Acting like you’re so cool and mature! Just because you’re a little smart, doesn’t mean you deserve Shiemi!”

“Huh?! What does Shiemi have to do with this?!”

“Come on, you think I don’t see the looks she gives you? I know something’s going on between you two!”

“There’s nothing going on between me and Shiemi!” he vehemently denies. There’s definitely something going on between them. As a woman and his twin sister, I can tell. I know he doesn’t experience sexual attraction, but what about romantic? There’s a look in his eye whenever he sees her, and she looks at him the same way sometimes. “And what about you and Suguro?! Don’t think I haven’t noticed how he looks at you! Don’t think I haven’t seen how you act around him! You’re practically seducing him! Why don’t you even  _ try _ to stop him whenever he puts his hands all over you?!”

“What are you even talking about?! I’m  _ not _ seducing that rooster! We  _ don’t _ have feelings for each other! He’s my  _ friend _ , you idiot, that’s why I don’t mind him, or anyone else besides Shima, touching me!” My face feels hot. It’s probably very red right now. “Unlike you and Shiemi! You totally have a crush on her!” That  _ must _ be it! 

“No, I’m not!”

“Of course you are! I know you, brother! Call it woman’s intuition, or whatever, because even  _ I _ have that, but you’re just too stupid and blind to see it, even  _ with _ your glasses! Clean them off and take a good look, idiot!”

“Stupid?!  _ You _ of all people can’t call me that, considering you can’t even run a simple errand correctly at your age!”

“You’re still going on about that?! Get over it!”

“Your fighting style is the same, it’s because you lack knowledge and skills that you depend on your flames!”

“What was that?! You know, if Dad has prepared me for this like he did for you, we wouldn’t be in this mess! But  _ no _ , he only has time for his  _ favorite  _ child before he goes and falls into a coma!” I shriek, and, impulsively, I aim a flick at his forehead. But I miss, and hit the bridge of his glasses. They fly into the air, smash against the ceiling, and fall back down. They land, broken, on top of his head. He stares at me. I stare at him. Suddenly I start snickering. I can’t help it. The sight of him like that is too funny. “Pfft! They landed perfectly! Ha ha ha!”

Before he has time to even scowl at me, his phone rings, and we’re both silent for a moment. Then he picks it up and answers calmly. “Yes, this is Okumura.” A pause. “Yes, not a problem.” He hangs up. “Well, I’ll be leaving now,” he tells me. 

“A mission?”

I think he can tell I want to go. “It’s none of your business, sister. Just stay here and try to get over your PMS. It’s that time of the month again, isn’t it? I know your cycle.” He takes the shattered glasses off his head, opens one of his desk drawers, and pulls out a spare pair. That wouldn’t be a problem, but he has rows and rows of them!  _ Why does he have so many?! _

This mission might not be any of my business, but I’m still going with him. As he collects his exorcist uniform and goes to change, I grab my school uniform. Suddenly, a thought hits me.  _ I’m not going through PMS right now. I haven’t even… Oh, no. Not since I changed into my half-demon form…  _ I change into my uniform and wait for Yukio.  _ Come to think of it, _ I think as I stare down at my legs,  _ it’s been a while since I’ve shaved, too… So how is my skin totally hairless? _

Yukio flashes his badge at the guard at the caution tape. “I’m Yukio Okumura, a middle first class exorcist,” he introduces himself.

“We’ve been waiting for you! Please go inside,” the guard says. 

“... Plus Rin Okumura, esquire,” I say from behind Yukio. I can practically feel his disappointment. 

“I don’t have time for you right now! Go home!”

“Nope,” I smirk. 

He glares at me, but raises no more objections as he spins around and goes to find out what the problem is.

The problem appears to be a cat. An angry, two-tailed, size-of-a-minivan cat, but a cat nonetheless. And, actually, despite all this, he’s really kinda cute. 

“ _ Liars _ !” I hear inside my head. It must be the cat who’s talking. I look around, but no one else is reacting to it. Does no one else hear it? What is this? Some sort of demon telepathy? “ _ You’re all liars _ !”

“What happened?” Yukio asks the other exorcists. “Are you alright?”

“Kuro suddenly turned gigantic and attacked us,” says one. “We accidentally let it slip about Father Fujimoto’s coma and it heard us saying that he might never wake up.”

“Excuse us, but what do you plan to do with Kuro?” the other one asks Yukio.

“It’ll be alright,” says Yukio. “We’ll deal with him.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. “What does this have to do with Dad?”

“That cat sith was Father’s familiar.”

_ His familiar, huh? _ I watch as Kuro attacks more exorcists. Finally, Yukio steps in, and it appears he has a trump card, given to him by our father himself, medicine that will calm Kuro down.  _ But what exactly does that mean? Will it kill him? I hope not.  _

One exorcist says she remembers how our father, the paladin, tamed Kuro, and the way she put it, it was a gentle experience for everyone involved. Which is good, because for some reason, I don’t want the cat sith getting hurt. 

_ Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Did I hear that woman refer to my and Yukio’s old man as the paladin?! Holy cow, he was/is that powerful? That means he was literally at the top of the food chain! If he ever wakes up, I’ll never call him weak for the rest of my life! _

The order to retreat is given, but I don’t move, because Kuro’s voice is in my head again. “ _ Liars! He’ll wake up! Shiro’s the greatest _ …  _ He’ll come back home! _ _ I don’t believe you! _ ”

_ I get it…  _

“Sister, you should also get back, since there’s a chance that this medicine might affect you too,” Yukio says when he notices that I haven’t left yet. 

“Are you… going to kill him, brother?” I hate to say the words, but I have to know.

“Yes,” he confirms. “Right now there’s no exorcist in the academy able to tame a demon of that class. When it becomes like that, there’s nothing we can do but kill it.”

“ _ He’s coming back! Until then, I can’t die either! _ ” The cat sith is getting restless. 

“Wait!” I yell at Yukio. I know what to do. 

“What?!”

“He’s just lonely, you can’t kill him for that!”

“Why do you know that…?”

I explain my theory about the demon telepathy thing, and get him to let me try to persuade the cat sith to calm down. “It’s alright. I won’t draw the Koma sword,” I promise. “Just like you told me, I won’t depend on Satan. I’ll use my head to fight.”

“Rin!” I think he’s concerned about how I’ll handle this. But I don’t have time to pay attention to my brother right now. 

“Hey!” I shout at the cat sith to get his attention. It works. “I’m Rin Okumura, Shiro’s daughter. The old man is dead to the world.”

“ _ Lies! _ ” Kuro insists. 

“He might never wake up again.”

“ _ Lies! _ ” He charges at me. “ _ You’re a liar! _ ”

I stand my ground, and meet him head-on. Very, very literally. Our foreheads smash together, and while I stay standing after impact, Kuro falls sideways to the ground. 

“She actually used her head?!” I can hear Yukio’s shocked commentary, but I ignore him. 

“You love my old man, don’t you?” I ask Kuro. “So then, you were just sad, right? I’m the same as you. Let’s settle our differences.” I extend my arm, even though shaking hands is, I suppose, a human thing, and neither of us really fits into that category. 

“ _ Shiro... Shiro’s in a coma?? _ ” Kuro starts wailing in anguish. “ _ Shiro’s in a coma! _ ” There’s no question in his voice now. Suddenly I’m looking at a regular-sized, though two-tailed, cat, crying right in front of me. 

Afterward, Kuro is sitting beside me on some steps while we wait for Yukio to sort things out with the other exorcists. 

“Don’t worry,” I tell him gently, stroking the soft fur on Kuro’s head with my fingers. “If Dad does wake up, the first thing I’ll do is bring you to him. He’ll be happy to see you, you know.” I’m sure he will. 

Kuro purs and rubs his head against my leg. “ _ Thanks, Rin! _ ” he says happily. 

“Good work,” my brother says, now done sorting things out and coming up behind me. 

“Hey,” I greet him. 

“What are you going to do about him?” Yukio asks as he drops down beside me. “For the time being I managed to explain to them that we were forced to keep him as your familiar, but it’s possible they might use another familiar as the gatekeeper.” 

I nod to indicate that I understand. Then I remember a certain comment Yukio made today. “By the way…” My brother looks at me and I punch him hard on the shoulder (not at full strength, but I made sure it hurt).

“Ow! What was that for?!” He clutches his shoulder.

“ _ That _ was for the PMS comment earlier. First of all, that’s sexist of you for assuming that the only time I’m angry is when I’m hormonal. Second of all, I haven’t even had a period since I became like this. I’m guessing it has to do with the whole ‘half-demon’ thing, so— Stop looking at me like that, Yukio!” My brother has this terrified look on his face, his eyes horrified behind his glasses. “There’s no way I’m… you know. Believe it or not, I  _ am _ still a virgin, despite everyone being my type.” I’m afraid the word ‘pregnant’ will give him a heart attack. 

Suddenly he gives an unmanly shriek and probably nearly has a heart attack anyway as Kuro dives toward him and steals the thing that was supposedly his trump card. 

“ _ It smells like Shiro’s present! _ ” Kuro says excitedly. I translate for Yukio when he asks, and he opens the bottle and sniffs it. 

“Silver vine sake?” he says in surprise. Whatever he was expecting, it definitely wasn’t this. 

“ _ Silver vine sake! _ ” Kuro says happily. “ _ It’s Shiro’s silver vine sake! _ ”

Most of the sake goes in a dish for Kuro, but Yukio and I each have a small amount of it, toasting our comatose father. 

“Cheers!” we toast in sync.

The stuff tastes disgusting, but it’s something our Dad made for his friend, so it would be disrespectful not to taste it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquires’ first mission as a class begins. Enter Amaimon, a perverted ghost child, and Shura. Also, Renzo gets a well-deserved punch in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here’s the second chapter I’m posting today. Hope you guys like it!

Rin POV

“So, how’d you guys do on your first mission?” I ask the guys, just to start a conversation and alleviate my boredom while we wait for Kamiki and Shiemi. We’re currently at a Mephisto-themed amusement park, having been called out for a job. Currently, Suguro, Konekomaru, Shima, the two mysterious students, and Yukio and I are here, but I’m only addressing Suguro, Konekomaru, and Shima. Mostly because I was with Yukio on my first mission and he’s not an esquire anyway, and because the other two don’t talk often.

“I had to clean out the leapers’ cage,” says Konekomaru disappointedly. 

“I had to take a sample of bariyoshi to Tamagawa,” contributes Suguro. 

“I had to carry supplies to Yamaoku,” complains Shima. “They weren’t missions, they were just odd jobs!”

_ Heh heh. _ I grin proudly. “I’m one step ahead of you guys. I got to beat a demon! Plus, afterward, I got to make him my familiar.”

“Alright,” says Suguro, unconvinced, “let’s see you summon him then.”

“Huh?” I can’t exactly do that. “I left him back at the dorms.” Kuro is probably burrowed between my bedsheets right now, sleeping. 

“You ‘left’ him at your dorm? Seriously?” 

“What, you think I’m lying?” I ask defensively. 

“Hey,” interrupts Shima, “aren’t the girls kinda late?”

“Not all of them, but I’ll overlook you mistaking me for a guy,” I say, pretending to examine my fingernail in annoyance. Might as well mess with him a bit, right?

“No no, I wasn’t trying to!” Shima frantically apologizes. “You’re very female, I know that well.” His eyes roam almost lecherously over my body, lingering at my chest and where my legs disappear into my skirt, and I resist the urge to slap him. Of course this would backfire with  _ him. _ He’s such a pervy moron. “Very,  _ very _ well…” Turns out I don’t have to slap him, because Suguro beats me to the punch, literally. His fist makes contact with Shima’s face, and Shima goes flying. 

I hear a satisfied humming and look over at Yukio. He’s nodding his approval at Shima’s punishment for looking at me like that. I get the feeling that if Suguro hadn’t done anything, Yukio most certainly would have.  _ Aww, such a sweet little brother I have, willing to defend his sister’s honor! _

“We’re sorry!” Shiemi and Kamiki come running up. “We got delayed!”

I can see why. “Shiemi? What happened? No kimono?” I ask. 

“Well, since my kimono isn’t really suitable for missions, the director had me provided with a uniform… We’re late because Kamiki and Paku were teaching me how to wear it.”

I gasp dramatically. “And you didn’t come to  _ me _ , your own best friend, first?! I am betrayed!” I drape myself over Yukio’s shoulder. “Defend my honor, brother!”

“Get off!” Yukio shoves me off him. 

“I’m sorry!” Shiemi squeaks apologetically. “It’s just that Kamiki and Paku were closer… but I really did want to come to you for help…”

“Uh… Shiemi, you know I was kidding, right…?”

She gasps. “Really? Thank goodness!”  _ Can she… not detect sarcasm? _ “But this outfit… it looks a bit weird, doesn’t it?”

“Of course not,” I reassure her. “In fact, it looks pretty good on you.” She’s beautiful in it. And now that she’s not in a kimono, I can see how large her chest is. She’s huge, actually. I think she and I might be just about the same cup size. “Besides, these short skirts are pretty easy to move around in, so it’s practical, too.”

But the words ‘short skirt’ are key. Shima is ogling her (so was I just now because I can’t help it), Konekomaru is looking at her with interest, Yukio is studying her appearance in surprise, and Suguro… Wait, what’s with him?! Suguro is looking at her with curiosity, like he’s surprised to see her like this, but there’s also something in his eyes that says something like, ‘Eh, I’ve seen better.’ Which is saying something, because who could possibly be better than Shiemi? But for now, I don’t care what Suguro thinks or doesn’t think about her. I have my sights set on new prey, and I’m about to strike hard.

“Yukio,” I say, moving over to him. I lean in and put my lips close to his ear. “Don’t you two go making me an auntie too soon, okay? You’ll at least wait until marriage, yeah?” I whisper jokingly, but quietly enough so that only he can hear me. 

He blushes!  _ Success!  _ “You don’t need to tell me that.” He pulls away from me. 

“Oh, don’t be so serious, Yuki! I was only joking! I know you’re not interested, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a g—” My face meets his clipboard. “Ow! That hurt, you four-eyed mole-face!” 

“Right, now that everyone has gathered, I’ll be dividing you into pairs,” Yukio says, having regained his composure as if the past five minutes never happened. He reads the pairs off his clipboard. “Miwa and Takara, Yamada and Suguro, Okumura and Moriyama, Kamiki and Shima.” So Konekomaru and puppet boy, hoodie kid and Suguro (who looks about as unhappy as a person can be with his partner), me and Shiemi ( _ jackpot! _ ), and Kamiki and Shima (I can’t decide who has it worse: the pervert or the girl who hates everyone?). “This time we’re at True Cross Academy’s Amusement Park, nicknamed ‘Mephy Land’, and in order to deal with the witness and damage reports of a ghost inside of here, all the esquires have been recruited to help find it. Can anyone tell me the definition of a ghost?” he asks. Kamiki raises her hand. “Go ahead, Kamiki.”

“A ghost is a demon who possesses material objects from human and animal corpses and turns them into vapor. Naturally, their characters are influenced by the feelings that the human or animal had while still alive.”

Yukio nods. “This ghost is the type that isn’t tied down to one location, and has been witnessed all over the park. It has the appearance of a little boy. At the moment, the extent of the damage he has done is yanking on people’s arms and legs. However, if we leave it unattended as it is, there is a chance that it may become evil and dangerous. Once you’ve divided into the pairs I just listed, I want you to scatter until nightfall and try to find it. If you find it, call either my or Mr. Tsubaki’s mobile phone immediately. If you have any questions, please raise your hand.” No one has any questions. “You’re all dismissed!”

Shiemi and I roam the streets of the amusement park, each checking one side as we walk. I’m so happy that neither of us were paired up with any of the guys, especially Shima. First of all, he won’t stop flirting with me, and second of all, now that it’s obvious that Shiemi has an especially curvy figure with those wide hips and large breasts of hers, Shima’s eyes, and probably (but hopefully not) hands, would be all over her. I guess it’s probably fortunate for Kamiki that she has such a small, mostly-shapeless body type. 

Everything seems to be going fine (uneventful, but fine), when Shiemi turns and looks at me. I almost jump back in surprise. Her cheeks are red and puffed out. “Shiemi! What’s wrong? Are you angry?” Either that or she’s in pain. 

“I look like I’m grinning foolishly when I keep my face normal,” she reasons. “So I’m keeping my face looking like this!” I’m about to tell her that she doesn’t look foolish, when her face relaxes. “I… the truth is, I’ve been longing to go to an amusement park for as long as I can remember,” she confesses to me. “But when I was younger, I couldn’t handle it because of the sheer amount of people there. But I think the present me will be alright!” She sounds so confident. It’s kinda nice to see this side of her. “The stalls and rides look so lively and fun… Next time, I want to come here to play, not on a mission!”

Oh my goodness, she’s so cute and I’m so happy for her. “Then, next time, I’ll come and hang out with you,” I offer genuinely. 

Her eyes light up like stars. “Yeah!”

Then we remember our mission, and continue looking. But I can hear something, a small voice crying, and I think I can safely assume it’s our ghost. Shiemi doesn’t seem to hear it, but I lead the way while wondering why I’m the only one who can hear it. Is it like with Kuro, because I’m a demon?

“There!” We’ve found the ghost! He’s sitting on the carousel, on one of the plastic horses, and he looks like he’s crying. 

“Wow, Rin! How did you know it was here?”

I can’t exactly tell her the truth, but I don’t really want to lie to her either. “Uh, I’ve got a gift? It’s not important.” Plus, I don’t even know whether it was demon telepathy or just my sharp hearing. 

Our attention is turned to the little ghost child in front of us. “What’s wrong?” Shiemi asks him. “Why are you crying?”

“Hey, don’t talk to demons!”  _ Like I have any room to talk. _

“Oh, yeah… But he’s just a little boy…”

The ‘little boy’ lets out a wail and shoots himself straight into Shiemi’s arms, resting his head on her shoulder, still crying. “I… I…” So he can speak after all. “I was sick for a really long time,” he sniffles, “Mommy and Daddy promised me that if I got better I could come to this amusement park and play. But I died… now I can’t play with anyone anymore!”

“I see,” says Shiemi kindly. “You must have been lonely, huh…”

Then, without warning, the kid’s tone takes a 180. “Shut up, hag!” he yells, and slams his hands upward, hitting the bottoms of her breasts and making them jiggle. She turns as red as a tomato. “Ha ha!” The ghost laughs. “Idiot!” He flies away. 

“Hey!” I yell, taking off after him. “Get back here, you little brat!”  _ I hate kids,  _ I think bitterly.  _ I don’t want to have kids. I never have. _ Besides, now that I’m like this, what man in his right mind would want to create offspring with the daughter of Satan?

_ Now where did that perverted little brat go…? There he is! _ Shiemi goes chasing after him as I pull out my phone to call Yukio.

But as the phone is ringing, the weight of the Koma sword on my back (as it always is) disappears. I forget about my phone call and spin around to confront the thief. 

I see a strange-looking young man on top of a statue of Mephisto, and he’s holding Kurikara. He has green hair that would be in a normal style, but has been shaped into a point at the top. He has pointy ears and fangs like I do, so that rules out any possibility of his being human. 

“Hey!” I shout. “Who are you?! Give that back!”

“Who…?” The guy looks like he doesn’t quite understand the question. “Oh, yes. I’m Amaimon, the prince of demons. I’m something similar to your older brother. Nice to meet you.” What exactly is this guy? “Huh,” he says thoughtfully, uncovering the sheathed sword. “So this is a demon sword. I wonder if you know what kinda device this is.” He positions his hands on the hilt and scabbard. 

_ Oh no.  _ “Wait—” I start to say. But he unsheathes Kurikara anyway. Immediately, I burst into blue flames, my tail is now visible, and my ears have grown longer. “Stop it!” I shout.  _ What if other people are around?! I’d be screwed! _

“Ah, I see,” he says with almost comical realization. Almost. If only my secret weren’t so close to being revealed. “Part of the blade of this sword appears to be a small entrance leading to Gehenna. Does the sheath serve the purpose as the gateway? As for you,” he addresses me, “your ‘power’ may be from Gehenna but your ‘body’ is in Assiah.”

“That's enough,” I growl, but he keeps going. 

“If I sheath the blade, the door closes. But if I pull it out, the door opens. So that’s how it works…?”

“Give it back!” I yell, lunging for my sword and aiming a high, flying kick at Amaimon’s head. He dodges (though, I’m sure, not before he gets a glimpse under my skirt), and I end up taking the head off the statue. 

“Oh, no, that’s brother’s head,” he says almost childishly. It’s a few seconds before I realize that he called Mephisto his brother.  _ And if Amaimon claims to be my brother too, does that mean that Mephisto is actually my older brother? Why do I have so many brothers?! What’s with this guy? _

“Hey! What’s your real objective?!”

“Objective?” He seems confused. “I had some spare time so I came here to play.”

“What?!”

And so begins the chase. He scurries up the side of a roller coaster, and I follow him, with full intent to fight him. 

“Over here, little sister,” he calls playfully from the top of the roller coaster. As soon as I’m about to reach him, he jumps, breaks his perch, which I happen to be holding on to, and I fall. All. The. Way. To. The ground. With Amaimon literally right on top of me the whole way down. “Hmm…” he hums thoughtfully as he repeatedly, but somehow casually, punches me in the face. “Such a let down,” he says disappointedly. “I don’t understand why Father and brother have become entranced with something like this…”

At this point I have blacked out from anger. I only catch snatches of what I’m doing now.

I can only assume we’ve landed, because I’m throwing Amaimon off myself. Blackness. I’m on top of Amaimon, growling savagely as all I want is to kill him. Blackness. Shiemi is nearby, about to be crushed by several falling pieces of the roller coaster, and I’m extending my flames to incinerate the rubble and save her. Blackness. I’m flying backwards, and skidding along the ground, probably having been kicked by the demon. And then the blackness doesn’t come anymore. I’m completely conscious now. But whatever adrenaline I had, I’m completely out. I’m exhausted. I’m on my hands and knees, but I can’t get up again. 

“Hmm? What happened? Are you already done?” Amaimon asks. “How boring. Although our older brother tries to stop you... now that you’ve become like this, shall we break your sword?”

“What… are you doing…?”  _ No! This can’t happen! _ I need to move, I need to stop him, now!

“Devour the seven princesses!” I hear a voice say behind me, and out of nowhere comes my hooded classmate.  _ What was his name again? I can’t remember. _ “Slay the serpent!”  _ What the— Did that sword just come out of his chest?! What is this?! Well, who cares where it came from, I suppose, as long as it’s being swung at Amaimon? _ And it certainly is being swung at him, enough so that he retreats. 

The newcomer now stands between me and Amaimon, facing him and, for the moment, protecting me. Should I consider him an ally for now? I find a little strength and stand up, preparing to run if need be. 

Amaimon regards the intruder from a safe distance. “And you are…?” He invites my hooded classmate to introduce himself. 

But he doesn’t. Instead, he says, “You’re the Earth King, Amaimon.” It’s not a question. “How did a big-shot like you manage to enter the academy? Were you guided by Mephisto?”

“You’re being a hindrance,” complains the Earth King. 

“ _ You’re _ the hindrance,” my classmate shoots back. 

Nope, I can’t do it. I can’t even remain on my own two feet. I collapse to my knees, breathing heavily. 

Amaimon stares at me for a few seconds, thinking. “So it is over, after all.” He sheathes my sword and my flames go out. “Another day, then.” He tosses the sword to me, turns, and leaves.

“Hey, wait!” my classmate calls after the demon. “Tch!” He turns toward me. “He was just playing! Oi! There’ll be people gathering soon! Hide your tail!”

As I wrap my tail around my abdomen under my shirt, my thoughts finally catch up to me.  _ To have my sword stolen so easily… To think that such a strong guy existed… I just blacked out for a second and completely lost myself. _ My arms wrap around my stomach, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.  _ It’s just like the old days! _ I find that I’m shaking. 

I’m still in shock when I hear footsteps. Someone is running towards me. “Rin!” It’s Shiemi. “What happened?” She puts her hand on my shoulder in what would probably be a comforting manner, but I’m still dealing with the adrenaline coursing through my veins and mind. 

“Don’t touch me!” I swat her hand away before I realize exactly what I just said to whom and how I just said it. I regret my words immediately, even if my nerves are still on edge.

“What’s wrong…?” She sounds scared. 

“Ah, it’s…” Crap, I screwed up. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. What about you, are you okay? What happened with that kid?” At least I can change the subject and direct the attention off myself. 

“Oh, he disappeared. He thanked me.” She seems happy. 

“I see…”

“Next time, the two of us will play together for sure!”

“Sure…” But I just don’t know if that’s an option anymore, given what just happened. I’m still shaken up about it. What if Amaimon comes and attacks me for real? I couldn’t even handle him when he wasn’t serious. He just  _ stole _ Kurikara, my demon heart, so easily. He was just playing this time. What if he’s serious next time? What makes me think I can beat him when he is?

Shiemi notices my tone. “Rin…” It seems like she wants to help, but she can’t. She doesn’t know my secret and I’m determined not to let anyone find out. 

“Shiemi!” Another newcomer. 

“Yuki!” Shiemi turns around to greet my twin as he runs toward us. 

“Are you alright?” Yukio asks. 

“Yuki… Rin’s hurt but I gave her some first aid…!” Did she? And am I really injured? I didn’t notice… 

“Sister… what happened?” Yukio says. I can’t tell him, though, not here. Not in front of Shiemi and everyone else. 

My hooded classmate, whom I’ve forgotten about, steps up, handing me my sword. “You’re slow, Yukio,” he says. “Because you’re so slow, I was forced to make my move.”

If the look of shock on my brother’s face doesn’t tell me that he knows this person, his words do. “It… it can’t be!”

“Long time no see. Well, whatever, I’ve gotten tired of looking like this.” Off comes the sweatshirt, and the bandages around the chest, and before us stands a beautiful woman. So he was a she?! Anyway, she’s got long red hair that’s blonde at the ends, a large bust that’s bigger than mine or Shiemi’s, and would be half naked if not for the bikini top she has on. “I’m Shura Kirigakure, an upper first class exorcist,” she introduces herself. “I was dispatched by the True Cross Vatican Headquarters to investigate the existence of the Japanese branch’s ‘risk factor.’ I’m a senior inspector.” 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shura steals and interrogates Rin, Ryuuji punches Shima in the face (twice), and Rin decides on a new goal to prove her worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry it’s been awhile since the last update, I’ll try to be better about it! Little note about when it switches to Ryuuji’s POV, it goes back to the beginning of the previous chapter, so I apologize if it seems repetitive. Anyway, enjoy!

Rin POV

Shura Kirigakure presents her license and patch as proof of her identity. She really is an exorcist, and a high-ranking one at that. 

“Anyhow, I’ll be taking this girl,” she jerks her head toward me, “to the Japanese branch headquarters. Afterwards, I’d like to speak to Mephisto, so please take me to him. All other exorcists will return to their dormitories.”

“Yes, ma’am,” agrees Yukio obediently.  _ Wow, someone even he doesn’t question. _

“C’mon, get up,” she tells me, and, without waiting for me to do so, wraps her arm around my neck, hauls me up, and holds me so that I can still walk, but I’m trapped. “I have something I want to say to you.” She presses my face into the side of her breast and I can’t breathe. Reflexively, I start struggling. 

“Mmmmmph!” My yells are both muffled and ignored. 

“Umm, excuse me,” says Shiemi timidly.  _ Shiemi! My savior! _ “Rin is still injured… I can help take care of her…”  _ Yes! Please, Shiemi, get me out of here! _

“Hmm? Oh, this girl’s fine as she is,” insists Shura. She sounds like she’s smirking.  _ Nooooo! Save me, my lovely Shiemi! _

“Mr. Okumura!” The other members of our class have shown up. 

“Everyone,” Yukio announces, “for the time being, today’s mission is done. Please return to your dorms.” 

“Hey,” says Suguro, “isn’t that Rin?”

“Man, I’m so jealous!”  _ Of course you are, Shima. Well, I’ll gladly trade places with you, if you wanna die from asphyxiation. Why does everything want to choke me to death? First that demon, now this Shura woman… _

“Shima…” Konekomaru says tiredly.

“Who is that woman?”

“She wears the bottoms to the boys’ uniform… so maybe she’s actually Yamada, who always covers up with a hood?”

“Ehh?!”

It’s almost amusing to hear them theorizing. Shura is not, nor has ever been, Yamada. That was only the name she went by while she was in disguise.  _ Of course, because of me, there’s no need for that now…  _

“Anyhow, what does she want with Rin?” Suguro asks.  _ He’s starting to sound … protective? Possessive? Why does he always do this? _

“You!” I assume Kamiki is talking to Shiemi, since I can’t really see anything right now. “What exactly happened?”

“I don’t really know…” Shiemi answers softly. “Rin isn’t bad though…”

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

“So, how’d you guys do on your first mission?” Rin asks us, probably just to start a conversation and while we wait for Kamiki and Moriyama. We’re currently at a Mephisto-themed amusement park, having been called out for a job since we’re now able to as esquires. Currently, the other two girls are the only ones missing. 

I still have questions about what happened the night of the surprise exam. Specifically with Rin. I still can’t believe that she took on a ghoul alone and defeated it simply by stabbing it with her sword. I know she said she’s strong, but just  _ how _ strong does she expect me to believe she is? It doesn’t help that everything about her is a mystery. What secrets is she hiding? Now that I think about it, neither she nor Mr. Okumura talk about their past. I don’t know how or where they were raised, who their parents are, or even why they’re here in the first place. Why did Mr. Okumura become an exorcist at such a young age? Why was Rin so surprised — and angry— to see him on the first day in cram school? And why exactly does Rin want to defeat Satan?

“I had to clean out the leapers’ cage,” Konekomaru answers her disappointedly. 

“I had to take a sample of bariyoshi to Tamagawa,” I tell her. 

“I had to carry supplies to Yamaoku,” says Shima. “They weren’t missions, they were just odd jobs!” 

“What, you think I’m lying?”

Rin just grins proudly. “I’m one step ahead of you guys. I got to beat a demon! Plus, afterward, I got to make him my familiar.”  _ She what?! How?! _

“Alright,” I say, unconvinced, “let’s see you summon him then.”

“Huh? I left him back at the dorms.”

“You ‘left’ him at your dorm? Seriously?” She has a familiar and it’s at her dorm? Why wouldn’t it be with her at all times? Yet another mystery regarding Rin. 

“What, you think I’m lying?” Rin asks defensively.

“Hey,” interrupts Shima before we can start fighting, “aren’t the girls kinda late?”

“Not all of them, but I’ll overlook you mistaking me for a guy,” Rin says dryly, examining a fingernail. 

“No no, I wasn’t trying to!” Shima says apologetically. “You’re very female, I know that well.” His eyes roam almost lecherously over her body, lingering at certain areas of her anatomy, and she notices. She looks about ready to slap him. “Very, very well…” I don’t remember the few seconds before my fist makes contact with Shima’s face. All I do know is that I must have moved unconsciously. Shima goes flying back and falls to the ground. 

I hear a satisfied humming coming from Mr. Okumura. He’s nodding his approval at my defending Rin’s honor. I’m almost positive that if I hadn’t done anything, he would have.  _ Crap, I did his job for him. But my body just kinda moved on its own… What is wrong with me?! _ Then I remember exactly what’s wrong with me.  _ Oh, right. I’m in love with her. I’m such a moron. _

“We’re sorry!” Moriyama and Kamiki come running up. “We got delayed!” It’s very clear why. Moriyama is wearing a school uniform. 

“Shiemi? What happened? No kimono?” Rin asks. 

“Well, since my kimono isn’t really suitable for missions, the director had me provided with a uniform… We’re late because Kamiki and Paku were teaching me how to wear it.”

Rin gasps dramatically. “And you didn’t come to  _ me _ , your own best friend, first?! I am betrayed!” She drapes herself dramatically over her twin’s shoulder. “Defend my honor, brother!”

“Get off!” He shoves her off him, but she doesn’t seem to mind. 

“I’m sorry!” Moriyama squeaks apologetically. “It’s just that Kamiki and Paku were closer… but I really did want to come to you for help…”

“Uh… Shiemi, you know I was kidding, right…?”

She gasps. “Really? Thank goodness!”  _ She can’t detect sarcasm? _ “But this outfit… it looks a bit weird, doesn’t it?”

“Of course not,” Rin reassures her. “In fact, it looks pretty good on you. Besides, these short skirts are pretty easy to move around in, so it’s a practical outfit too.”

But the words ‘short skirt’ are key. Shima and Rin (despite her words just now) are both ogling her. Even Koneko is looking at her with interest. Mr. Okumura and I, I think, are the only ones not interested. He’s, well, not attracted to women (I believe the word Rin used to describe him once was ‘asexual’), and as for me, Moriyama isn’t my type. Although, I can admit that Moriyama looks pretty good, but I’ve seen better. A lot better, actually. And she’s standing right next to me. No one else even comes close to replicating Rin’s kind of beauty, so the only thing I think when I see Moriyama is ‘meh’. 

“Yukio,” Rin says, moving over to her brother with a mischievous grin on her face. She leans in and whispers something in his ear. Immediately, his face goes as red as a tomato. 

What could she possibly have said to make him blush like that? “You don’t need to tell me that.” He pulls away from her. 

“Oh, don’t be so serious, Yuki! I was only joking! I know you’re not interested, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a g—” She’s abruptly cut off when her face has a painful-looking meeting with his clipboard. “Ow! That hurt, you four-eyed mole-face!” 

“Right, now that everyone has gathered, I’ll be dividing you into pairs,” Mr. Okumura explains, having regained his composure as if the past five minutes never happened. “Miwa and Takara, Yamada and Suguro, Okumura and Moriyama, Kamiki and Shima,” he reads off his clipboard. I’m disappointed that I’m not with Rin, but at least she didn’t get Shima as a partner. Speaking of which, I don’t know whether I pity Shima or Kamiki more. “This time we’re at True Cross Academy’s Amusement Park, nicknamed ‘Mephy Land’, and in order to deal with the witness and damage reports of a ghost inside of here, all the esquires have been recruited to help find it. Can anyone tell me the definition of a ghost?” he asks. Kamiki raises her hand. “Go ahead, Kamiki.”

“A ghost is a demon who possesses material objects from human and animal corpses and turns them into vapor. Naturally, their characters are influenced by the feelings that the human or animal had while still alive.”

Mr. Okumura nods. “This ghost is the type that isn’t tied down to one location, and has been witnessed all over the park. It has the appearance of a little boy. At the moment, the extent of the damage he has done is yanking on people’s arms and legs. However, if we leave it unattended as it is, there is a chance that it may become evil and dangerous. Once you’ve divided into the pairs I just listed, I want you to scatter until nightfall and try to find it. If you find it, call either my or Mr. Tsubaki’s mobile phone immediately. If you have any questions, please raise your hand.” No one has any questions. “You’re all dismissed!”

Pairing up, we scatter.  _ Yamada is my partner, huh…? What are his abilities, anyway? _ I wonder as we walk, searching for the ghost.  _ Would he even be useful in a fight? _

We search in silence for several more minutes before something happens. Although, not with the ghost that we’re supposed to find. We both turn our heads when we hear the loud crashing sound. I can see something falling down the side of the roller coaster, destroying it as it goes down. But I can’t tell what it is, what with all the debris and dust floating around it. 

“What is that?! Do you think something happened?” I ask my partner, as if he’d know. But without answering me, he just runs off, in the direction of the roller coaster. “Hey!” I yell. “Where’re you going?!” But he’s gone. 

After that, things are kind of a blur for the next several minutes. The only thing I know is that I manage to find everyone else and we head over to where all the commotion is. 

“Mr. Okumura!” 

“Everyone,” Mr. Okumura announces, “for the time being, today’s mission is done. Please return to your dorms.” 

He and Moriyama are here, along with a busty redheaded woman who is dragging along a certain long-haired someone.

“Hey,” I say, “isn’t that Rin?” With her head under this woman’s arm, Rin is struggling, like she can’t breathe well. It’s not hard to see why. 

“Man, I’m so jealous!” 

“Shima…” Konekomaru scolds tiredly.

“Who is that woman?”

“She wears the bottoms to the boys’ uniform… so maybe she’s actually Yamada, who always covers up with a hood?”

“Ehh?!”

“Anyhow, what does she want with Rin?” I ask. I don’t want to see Rin being dragged away by some stranger. I’d much rather they stay here and talk about whatever it is they want to talk about in front of everyone. I’d at least have a little peace of mind about Rin’s safety. 

“You!” Kamiki says harshly to Moriyama. “What exactly happened?”

“I don’t really know…” Moriyama answers softly. “Rin isn’t bad though…” What’s  _ that _ supposed to mean?

The woman leaves with the Okumura twins, and we all have no choice but to do as our teacher ordered: we go back home. 

  
  


Rin POV:

As Shura drags me away, I’m finally able to turn my head a little and get a bit of air. From here, I’m able to see as Yukio uses one of his magic keys to open a portal to enter the Japanese branch headquarters. He, Shura and I go in, and Shura’s grip on me is loose enough to where I can lift my head a little bit and look around. 

The place is huge, old, and, in a way, architecturally beautiful. There are no windows, at least not where I can tell, but there are many doors and hallways leading off to other places I’ll probably never visit. 

“This place is the center of the True Cross,” Shura explains as she drags me along. “The Japanese branch’s base is hidden below True Cross Academy… The Vatican headquarters are under St. Peter’s cathedral. Officially, we don’t exist. We’re just an international organization with branches all around the world. We have a long history, though. We’ve carried the burden of exterminating monsters all over the world for over two thousand years now.”

“That’s right,” says a new voice. It’s Mephisto. The guy who Amaimon claimed is our brother. Yukio’s too, I guess. But I don’t think I’ll be so quick to believe him. “That is what we, the True Cross Order, do. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Shura?” He greets my captor. “Don’t tell me now that you’ve snuck into our school as an inspector! I wasn’t informed of this!”

“Mephisto,” Shura interrupts him. “Let me get straight to the point. You’ve been hiding Satan’s kid without informing the Vatican. What are you scheming?” At this point, I have given up and stopped moving. I’m just waiting for Shura to do something with me, like maybe let go of my head.  _ Yeah, letting go of my head sounds great right now. _

“Don’t be absurd, I’m not scheming anything,” he says with his hands up in an ‘I surrender’ position. “While it’s true that I am hiding her, everything is in the best interests of the Order.”  _ What does he mean by that? And why is he smiling like that? _ “I’m raising Satan’s kid to become a weapon for the Order.”  _ Okay, first of all, WHAT?! Second of all, I have so many objections. Don’t I get a say in all this? What makes him think he gets final say in what I do with my life? I didn’t ask to be Satan’s kid, why should I be controlled because of that? Third, why was this kept from me? _ Unaware of and unconcerned with my inner turmoil, Mephisto continues. “In these last two thousand years, we exorcists have only fought a defensive war. Now we have the chance to take the battle to the front lines.”

“Even so,” says Shura, “you must still consult with the top before doing anything, right?”

“In an ideal world, at the very least.”

“Was Shiro Fujimoto also trying to do this?”

“You can say that until the power of the flames gained strength, Fujimoto was raising her.”  _ So he was only raising me while I was safe? When I didn’t have (literally) satanic powers? _

“I see,” says Shura. “Whatever the case is, I’ll need to report to the higher-ups. Before that, I’d like to interrogate this girl. I’ll be using the great cell.”

“Do as you like,” replies Mephisto. “You’ll definitely have fun with her.”

Shura is already dragging me away. And only now does Yukio raise any objections. 

“Shura, please wait!” He follows us. “It’s pointless to interrogate my sister! Please let me instruct her instead.”  _ Thanks, little brother. Your delayed reaction is much appreciated,  _ I think bitterly. 

Shura stops and turns her head toward him. “Though the frame has changed, that place is still the same, isn’t it?” It’s very clear that she doesn’t care what he has to say. “Anyhow, good work today. Go home and get some rest.” She waves him off with her unoccupied hand and continues to drag me along. 

“Shura!” But he isn’t able to catch up with her.  _ Oh, well. All I can hope is that she doesn’t kill me during this interrogation. _

She drags me through hallway after hallway, until she reaches a door, opens it, and very literally throws me inside before coming in herself and closing the door behind her. Once I regain my feet, I look around. The room honestly isn’t much to look at. It’s somewhat large, yes, but completely bare. 

“On the way here, you were so docile, you were like a borrowed cat,” says Shura, probably jokingly. 

_ Really? We’re here for an interrogation and that’s the first thing you say? You compare me to a cat? _ I don’t have a comeback, so I get right to the point. I want to know exactly who she is. “Are you an acquaintance of Dad and Yukio’s?”

“You can say that I was Shiro Fujimoto’s student,” she says. 

“His student?” I don’t remember my old man having a student. Would I remember something like that? I guess it depends on when it was, huh? 

“This was two years before the two of you were born,” she explains. She means me and Yukio. “I was just scraping by everyday, barely staying alive, and then that man rescued me.” She looks like she’s reminiscing about the past for a moment, then turns her back to me, and continues. “But that was a long time ago.” Suddenly she doubles over and groans, as if she’s in pain.

My mistake is when I approach her. “What’s wrong? Did you get hurt earlier?” I bend down a bit to see what the problem is.

“None of your business!” she shouts, and in an instant, she has stolen my sword and retreated across the room with it. “You idiot!” she laughs as I look around in confusion and horror. “I can’t believe you fell for that! What is it now… the second time?” Now I’m angry. “Just how many times are you going to be giving this thing away as a present?”

“That’s none of your business!” I scream, running at her with my flames out. As I attack, she dodges and reaches her hand up to her chest and pulls out her own sword from the seal tattooed there. “Why?! Why would my father’s student point a sword at me?!”

“As a first class inspector from the Vatican HQ,” she smirks, “I am following secret orders.”  _ What is she talking about? _ “On the day that Shiro went into his coma, I was told that Shiro Fujimoto and the Japanese Branch Manager, Mephisto Pheles, were conspiring together. Ever since the Blue Night sixteen years ago, they’d been associating with Satan and hiding some sort of ability. It became my job to find out what that was. If I concluded that it was something associated with Satan, I was ordered to eliminate it immediately.”

“Eliminate?!”  _ I have a horrible feeling about this. I just hope I’m wrong… _

“I’ve just confirmed your blue fire with my own eyes. As ordered, elimination is now possible. So I’m going to kill you now.” She smirks again. “It is a student’s duty to clean up their master’s messes.”

“Kill me?!”  _ Why did I have to be right? _ “Wait!”

She doesn’t wait. She simply sends an attack with her demon sword at me. I dive out of the way as it hits and nearly destroys the wall behind me. The attacks keep coming, so I just start running.  _ Who is this woman?! She’s amazing! Is she really human? She was good against that demon earlier, but this is on a whole different level… She’s strong! _

As if to reinforce this, one of her attacks hits me. I go flying, and that’s when she takes the opportunity to charge at me herself and pin me to the ground as I land on my back. 

“You senile fool!” Shura shouts as she lands on me and straddles my stomach. Somehow I don’t get the feeling she’s talking to me. I think she might be talking to my dad, her teacher, or at least a memory of him. “You put your faith in the power of Satan and ran from battles! You were the absolute biggest coward in the history of the True Cross… the absolute worst paladin!” She stabs her sword down at me, but I grab it just before it pierces my chest. 

“You’re wrong,” I growl. “My father nearly died protecting me! He was no coward!”

“He was a coward,” she says quietly. 

“I’ll prove he wasn’t!”

That seems to have piqued her interest. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m…” For a fraction of a second, I have no idea. Then I know. “I’m going to become a paladin!” In that moment, I know I’m telling the truth. That’s really what I want to be. “If I can become the ultimate exorcist, then by letting me live, Father will have proved himself right!”

Shura stares at me for a full second before bursting into laughter. When she finally calms down enough, she gets off me. It seems she’s decided not to kill me just yet. “For the time being, I’ll look after this thing,” she gestures to Kurikara, which is now on her back. “If you were to hold on to it, you’d become a toy for that Amaimon again. If you want it back, then get stronger. When you can beat me, you can have it back.”  _ Fair enough. _ “And also, you better prove him right!”  _ Thanks, I planned to. _

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

The next day, we have a new teacher. It’s the woman who had Rin in a chokehold at the amusement park. “Anyhow,” she says, “I have transferred from Vatican headquarters to the Japanese branch. I’m Shura Kirigakure, age 18. Nice to meet you.”  _ Well, she definitely dresses like a teenager. Bikini top, short shorts, thigh-high stockings… Not really what you’d think of when you imagine a professional exorcist.  _ “Whatever happens, let’s have fun these next two and a half months training!”  _ What even is this woman…? _ “Now then,” she says, looking at a clipboard, “for the time being, we have magic circles, sealing techniques, and sword techniques. What a pain! I’ll be in charge of those. Let’s have fun now.”

_ Magic circles? _ “Um, Ms. Kirigakure?” 

“Hmm? What is it, Suguro?”

“Why have you taken an interest in us students? What happened to our former magic seals instructor, Mr. Neuhaus?” He just suddenly disappeared after the esquire exam. 

“Ahh, those are adult matters.”  _ What’s that supposed to mean?!  _ “Kids need not worry about them, alright?”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“Sorry I’m late…” a voice interrupts. It’s Rin. “Didn’t get much sleep last night…” she yawns. 

“You don’t have to explain yourself, just come in. I’m not mad,” says Ms. Kirigakure. Rin seems a bit confused to see our new teacher, but takes her seat next to Moriyama. 

“Rin! Are you okay?” her blonde friend asks worriedly. 

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiles to reassure her and it’s the most beautiful thing. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” she says, looking relieved. “I’m just glad you’re okay!” But Rin seems… different.

“That girl,” I mutter to Shima and Neko, “don’t you think the atmosphere around her has changed a bit?”

“Really?” Konekomaru says uncertainly. 

“I wonder what happened with her,” Shima ponders. “Hey, is it just me, or did she get hotter? Ms. Kirigakure took her somewhere the other day, so maybe being with Ms. Kirigakure does that to a girl? I think we should get them to spend time together more often.”

For the second time in two days, I have the satisfaction of punching Shima in the face. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin relives an old memory and training camp in the woods begins. Rin teases Yukio for being overprotective, Renzo teases Ryuuji for asking Rin an awkward question, and everyone loves Rin’s cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and happy Leap Day! I know I’m not updating as often as I said I would, but now that I have more free time, I can keep that promise better. Once again, thank you to everyone who comments on and gives kudos to this fic!

Rin POV: 

_ Ever since I was a kid, I’ve known I was different from the others. And not in a special, “I’m better than everyone else” kind of way. No, I was the one that everyone called a demon, and in everyone’s mind, and at some point, including my own, I deserved it.  _

_ The boy in front of me screamed in pain, pain that I, as a four-year-old, had inflicted upon him. Broken toys were scattered around us. “My nose!” the boy cried, clutching said body part. “It hurts!” _

_ “Rin…” Our teacher called out to me, kind but terrified. “Take it easy… Come here for a—” _

_ “Shut up!” I screamed. “Stay away! Stay away from me!” In the midst of my temper tantrum, I threw a wagon full of toys just as my father walked in.  _

_ “Rin!” He scolded me.  _

_ “Father…” _

_ “Your playmates have broken noses and arms!” I could tell he was really not happy with me and what I’d done.  _

_ “I didn’t do anything wrong!” I shouted, trying to defend myself. “They started it because they called me a demon! He said I was a monster!” _

_ “You  _ did _ do something wrong!” Father asserted. “Come here! You can’t keep breaking things!” _

_ “Grrrrrrrrr!” With bared teeth, I growled savagely, trying to make it clear that I had no intention of doing what he said and prove that I could, as a matter of fact, keep breaking things as I threw a chair at him. But he simply deflected it with his arm.  _

_ “What a face,” someone in the background said. Was that fear in their voice? I supposed I must have looked a little scary in my rage. “How does he raise a kid like that? Her face really does look like a demon’s.” _

_ Meanwhile, my father had been approaching me. When he was right in front of me, he knelt down to my level, and embraced me.  _

_ I yelled and squirmed violently as I resisted, and I’m pretty sure I heard something crack as my struggles caused some part of my body to make very forceful contact with his chest. My father let out a grunt of pain. I gasped. Did I hurt him? I stopped struggling and he pulled me away from his chest so he could look me in the face.  _

_ He saw my worried and apologetic face and laughed. “Just kidding! Did I scare you?” He grinned broadly.  _ What the— He was just pretending?! _ “Rin,” he said as he held me close again, “listen to me. If you keep acting like this, one day you’ll find yourself all alone. I just want you to use your power for someone else, for a gentler purpose.” He let me go again and kept my tiny hands enveloped in his larger ones, looking me in the eye as he spoke so seriously. “I want the future you to be surrounded by tons of friends. Men love cool women, y’know!” They do? _

_ “How am I supposed to do that?” I asked. I had, by then, calmed down immensely compared to my previous rampaging, thanks to my father.  _

_ “Struggle!” What? “If you keep struggling, then before you realize it, you’ll have become one.” Suddenly he fell over sideways, clutching at his chest. “I give up! Call me an ambulance!” _

_ “What?! Father!” I shouted. _

_ As it turns out, my dad had three broken ribs, a pretty serious injury. As they carted him away on the gurney and got him into the ambulance, he joked about getting injured on purpose so he could have a busty nurse take care of him.  _

I open my eyes, waking up from my dream. It was an old memory, back from what seems like ages ago, when I was still human. Or, rather, when I still believed I was human. Was I  _ ever _ actually human? I have no idea. 

I can’t get back to sleep, so I grab my new wooden sword and tiptoe past my sleeping brother. Shura gave me this wooden stick to practice with until she has deemed me worthy of Kurikara again.

“ _ Are you going outside to play? _ ” Kuro asks excitedly. “ _ I’m coming too! _ ” 

With Kuro right on my tail (almost literally), I head up the roof. When I get there, I sit on the edge, taking in the view of the academy. Kuro climbs up on my shoulders, finding a seemingly comfortable perch. 

Then I pull the wooden sword from its wooden sheath and ask Kuro if he wants to play. His affirmative response is to shift into his larger form and give me the biggest, happiest grin that a demon cat can muster.    
  


I’m relieved when the last day before summer vacation comes. I was able to push through the term without too many major problems, considering I had to juggle regular school, cram school, homework, studying, and exorcisms. Not to mention worrying about being the daughter of Satan and knowing my life could be forfeit at any time, as well as keeping my parentage a secret from everyone who didn’t need to know (which is pretty much all but three other people). 

As I reach the bottom of the front steps of the school (the regular one), there’s a voice behind me. “Rin!” I turn around. “This is the first time we’ve met outside of class.”

“Konekomaru,” I greet my tiny bald classmate, waving. Suguro and Shima are behind him. 

“Once the closing ceremony is done, we have to assemble at the True Cross Halfway Station,” Suguro informs me.

“Want to come along, Rin?” sweet little Konekomaru asks politely. 

“Sure,” I reply, grinning.  _ How could I say no to that adorable face? _

Suguro has his hands in his pockets, and a strange look on his face. He’s frowning and scowling, but it looks strained, like he’s trying not to look happy or pleased at something. He’s not doing a very good job of it.  _ I wonder what’s up with him?  _ But he’s kinda always acted like this, so I write it off as nothing.

“Everyone’s going to have a fun summer break starting from today,” announces Yukio. We have all gathered at the station, and now we are being briefed on the next several days by him and Shura.

“Remind me what you know of fun again, Yuki?” I ask to get on his nerves. I hear some snickering behind me.

“Shut up, Rin!” It worked. I laugh, and he tries to compose himself enough to continue his speech. “However, all the esquires will now be participating in a forest training camp. You shall all do combat training in the academy forest section for three days. Ms. Kirigakure and I will be leading the summer camp.” Shura waves at us from her spot beside Yukio. “The focus on the first half of the training camp will be strength training, and the second stage will be a series of tests to see if you are ready to take part in actual missions. This forest training camp will also serve as a test, so let’s brace ourselves and go!”  _ Is that his lame attempt at being motivational? Oh well. _

“Yeah!” six of us answer enthusiastically, while the seventh, Takara the puppet guy, stays silent. Big shock.    
  


I can hear the heavy breathing behind me from the rest of my classmates as we hike through the forest. My sensitive ears pick up their complaints. 

“I don’t feel like an exorcist,” complains Suguro. “I feel more like one of those marching soldiers.”

“It’s so hot and my bag is so heavy,” groans Konekomaru. 

“I’m exhausted,” moans Shima.

“There are so many mosquitoes,” spits Kamiki in disgust.

_ What is there to complain about? This forest is beautiful, it’s a gorgeous day, and I’m so energized. _ Not to mention my feet are really comfortable in these boots. We have all been given an identical pair of knee-high boots, standard issue for exorcists-in-training. They’re perfect for any kind of physical activity, really. I notice something really pretty. “Ooh! A waterfall!” I exclaim, barely able to contain my excitement. “Hey!” I point it out to everyone else. “There’s a little waterfall! It’s so pretty and blue! I wonder if it’s alright to drink from?” I don’t mean to sound childish, but this is my first time hiking and camping and I’m very excited. 

“Just stop already, Rin,” my brother scolds tiredly. 

As we move on from the waterfall, I tell him, “But it’s like we're going on a picnic! I’ve never been on one before.”

Behind me, Suguro wonders aloud, “Why’s that girl so energetic…?”

“For whatever reason, Rin is just full of energy,” comments Shima, not even trying to guess the reason. And, honestly, I’m glad he isn’t. 

We reach a large clearing, and decide to set up camp here. Yukio instructs us that he and the boys will light the fire and set up the tents while Shura and the girls will set up a protective circle around the camp and prepare dinner. 

“Right, let’s get moving!” Yukio commands authoritatively, taking off his jacket to reveal his short sleeved uniform shirt so he can help the boys with the tents. 

“Woah, Yukio! Showing them your elbows already?” I catcall. “So risqué! I admire your confidence!” He’s usually such a prude. Always has been, even before we started high school. Whenever he was around anyone, he’d cover up as much as was acceptable. The only time he lets loose is when he’s around me, his own twin. 

My comment earns me a “Shut up, Rin!” I snicker. I can hear Suguro and Shima laughing as well. I grin at my victory against my brother and go with Shura and the other girls. 

Everything goes smoothly until Shura, Shiemi, Kamiki, and I start to prepare dinner, and I notice that we have a huge problem. Shura is sitting off to the side, playing her old video game from when she was disguised, and Shiemi and Kamiki quickly prove themselves to be utterly incompetent in the kitchen. Shiemi just stares at the package of curry with an expression that clearly says, ‘what am I supposed to do with this?’ And then Kamiki accidentally cuts the end of her thumb with a large knife. 

I’m surprised my patience lasts a whole sixty seconds. “Don’t either of you know  _ anything  _ about cooking?!” I finally snap at them. They look shocked at my tone.  _ These two are both hazards to themselves and everyone else! They obviously have no culinary skills! _ “Get out! I will handle dinner on my own!” Shiemi lets out a terrified whimper and scampers out of our temporary outdoor kitchen. Kamiki gives me a look that is a mixture of curiosity and contempt before leaving.  _ Finally, a bit of time sort-of alone. Just me, this little kitchen, and a bunch of food to prepare.  _ I’m aware of all the people staring at me as I cook, but I don’t care enough to pay attention to any of them. This is all that matters right now, this meal I’m preparing for everyone. 

Fifteen minutes in, Shiemi timidly approaches me. “Rin?” She says softly. “Is there anything I can help with?”

I’m about to say no, because I’m used to doing everything on my own, but then I think of something. “Um… Oh, yeah… Would you mind preparing the salad?”

Words cannot describe how happy she looks. “Yeah!”

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

Everything goes smoothly after we set up camp until the girls start to prepare dinner. Ms. Kirigakure is sitting off to the side, playing her old video game, and Moriyama and Kamiki seem to be clueless about… well,  _ everything _ in the kitchen. 

It literally only takes a minute of this for Rin to snap. “Don’t either of you know  _ anything  _ about cooking?!” They look shocked at her tone. I’m shocked too. Usually she’s so nice and patient, but for some reason she can’t tolerate her friends’ utter lack of skills in the kitchen. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen her lose her temper like this. “Get out! I will handle dinner on my own!” Moriyama immediately lets out a terrified whimper and scampers out of the temporary outdoor kitchen. Kamiki gives her a look that is a mixture of curiosity and contempt before leaving. Rin ignores the rest of us as she gets to work. What’s strange is that she seems totally in her element. I guess it never really occurred to me that Rin could cook. She just doesn’t seem like the type of woman who would have the patience be able to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, as irrationally traditional gender roles dictate she should. But here she is, chopping up ingredients and adding spices and mixing everything together over a hot stove like a pro. 

I didn’t think Rin could get any more beautiful than she already is. I was wrong. She’s so focused, so engrossed in her cooking. She looks happy, as if this is an activity that she’s passionate about.  _ No, not ‘as if.’ It is definitely something she loves, something she’s passionate about. That look in her eye… I wonder if she’s ever looked at anyone like that? I wonder if she would ever look at me like that? _

Fifteen minutes in, Moriyama timidly asks if she can help with anything, and Rin, seeming somewhat reluctant, lets her do the salad. 

  
  


Rin POV

“Time to eat!” I announce when dinner is done. 

What amuses me most is how amazed everyone’s first reactions are to my cooking. Well, everyone except Yukio, since he’s used to it by now. 

“This is certainly a taste that wouldn’t be put to shame no matter what family you marry into,” says Shima quietly. I think he’s going into shock. 

“You’re really good at cooking, Rin,” says Konekomaru. I can’t help but blush a little at their praise. I mean, yeah, I know I’m good, but I’m not used to being told so by people who aren’t my family (AKA, Yukio and the guys at the monastery).

Kamiki doesn’t say anything, but I can tell what she’s thinking by her facial expression. She likes it too. 

“Holy crap!” Suguro exclaims. “This is amazing! Is this for real?” He looks up at me desperately. “Please marry me.”

I don’t know what to make of his marriage proposal, so I just laugh.  _ He’s joking, right? _ “Marriage proposals already?” I tease him. “Moving a little fast, aren’t we, Suguro? You haven’t even bought me dinner yet!” I giggle in dramatically fake bashfulness. I’m kidding around, but I’m not so sure that Suguro is as well.  _ Is he just joking around, or is he actually serious? _ I try not to let this kind of thought ruin the fun I’m having.

Suguro’s face goes blank for a moment. He looks like he either wants to say something or run away.

But he doesn’t have a chance to do either, because beside me, I can practically feel my brother’s protective aura. He puts his arm around my shoulders. I look at him, and he’s glaring daggers at Suguro through his glasses. “Stay away from my sister, you fiendish punk rooster…” he growls.  _ Since when could my brother could dish out insults like that? _ I’m so proud of him! “I saw how you looked at her on the first day of your esquire exam,” he snarls protectively.  _ How he… looked at me? How did he look at me?  _ But whatever it was like, Suguro looks absolutely terrified. Even  _ I _ didn’t know my brother could get like this.  _ Jealousy? Protectiveness? Neither of those words could have been used to describe Yukio when we were kids. He’s changed so much.  _

Although, I have to admit that I’m touched. “Aw, aren’t you the sweetest, Yukio! Caring so much about your big sister like that!” I lean over and kiss his cheek. “Don’t worry, though, I can take care of myself if he tries anything inappropriate!”

Yukio turns bright red and scoots away from me, sputtering. “That’s not— I mean—” And just like that, the old Yukio, the one I grew up with, is back.  _ Aww, he’s so adorable when he’s flustered.  _

I snicker and lightly punch his arm. “Too easy.” I laugh. “You forget I know you too well, little brother.”

“Mmm,” he grunts angrily, and pouts. I look over at Suguro, and he’s blushing furiously too, looking away. Maybe my comment about him doing inappropriate things to me was a little much. Although, he kinda did just embarrass himself by proposing to me after eating my cooking.  _ I still can’t believe he did that. Talk about gutsy, huh? He doesn’t actually want to marry me, does he? He wouldn’t want me, of all people, right? Right?  _ But… deep down… I think I know exactly how he actually feels about me. But that’s because he doesn’t know what I really am yet. If he ever found out, he’d despise me like yesterday’s trash. But I guess we’ll get there when we get there. 

Suddenly, everyone is laughing. At Yukio’s expense, at Suguro’s expense, at the whole exchange that just happened between the three of us. 

“But seriously, Rin!” Shiemi says happily, changing the subject a little bit. “This is delicious!”

I blush. This is one of the few things about myself I can take pride in. “Well, y’know, it’s a talent!”

“And it’s Rin’s only useful skill,” contributes Yukio unhelpfully. 

“Shut up, four-eyes!”  _ Was that really necessary? _ “You know, you’re my brother, and I love you, but how about I tell everyone what  _ your _ only useful skill was when we were kids? Because I’m pretty sure it was cowering behind your big sister, who fought bullies for you. And I’m sure I could tell them all kinds of stories from when you were a scrawny little crybaby. Well? Should I tell them one or two?” I wiggle my eyebrows at him with fake but convincing menace.

“What?! No!” He looks genuinely shocked, like he can’t let his image of a leader be dragged through the mud in front of his students and colleague. 

I lightly punch his arm again. “Once more, it’s too easy to mess with you, Yuki,” I snicker. “Although,” I say, putting on a more serious tone and addressing the rest of our group as my arm slides around my twin’s shoulders, “I really do have heaps of stories. If you ever want dirt on Yukio, don’t be afraid to come to me, alright?”

“Rin!” Yukio pulls away from me, and is seriously distressed now. 

“Kidding!” I laugh. 

Around the campfire, everyone continues to praise my cooking. People are going back for second helpings, and everyone has a smile on their face. Shima follows Suguro to the drink cooler and they exchange hushed words, a smirk making its way onto Shima’s face and a blush on Suguro’s. And honestly, this whole concept is foreign to me, having a good time with others who I can call my friends.  _ This is the first time I’ve ever experienced something like this. I’ve always tried to use my strength for other people, getting balloons out of trees, helping old ladies, defending girls who were brave enough to confess to boys who just laughed at them afterward. But it always went wrong, everything I did was overkill. I was never able to experience these kinds of events because I was always a troublemaker, no matter what I did.  _

“Hey, Rin,” calls Suguro, still blushing a little. I’m guessing he’s still embarrassed about his reaction to eating my cooking earlier. “Anything you want to drink?”

_ I don’t really understand it, but… I guess this is what it feels like to be surrounded by friends.  _ “I’ll come choose one!” I answer him, unable to stop my lips from forming a huge grin as I speak.  _ It’s really a nice feeling, to have friends,  _ I think as I get up and head to the drink cooler. And that’s all Suguro is to me. A friend. Isn’t he?

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

When Shima and I go to get drinks, he starts teasing me quietly about the whole proposal thing. I should have known he wouldn’t miss the chance. But Rin’s food was so heavenly, I couldn’t help it. With any luck, she probably thought I was joking or something. I had to force myself to stop talking so I didn’t accidentally confess my feelings for her in front of the whole class. She’s too amazing. She’s strong, beautiful, funny, and she will do anything for those she cares about. She can cook better than anyone I’ve ever met, she’s nice to everyone, and she doesn’t hesitate to help her allies, even if they aren’t actually her personal friends.

Her brother is scary, though. Forget the fact that he has direct influence over my grades in his class, the guy is huge. And he saw the way I looked at Rin on the first day of the esquire exam. In my defense, Rin is a very beautiful girl who was wearing a huge t-shirt and tiny shorts, and as a healthy teenage guy, how am I not supposed to look at and appreciate a sight like that? I have a feeling, though, if I eventually want to pursue a relationship with Rin, I’m going to have to be very careful around that brother of hers. 

“Dang, Bon, I know her cooking is good and all, but I didn’t expect anyone, least of all  _ you _ , to react like  _ that, _ ” Shima whispers with a grin. 

“Shut up!” I hiss. 

“Y’know, if you want her to say yes next time, you should probably start being a bit nicer to her.”

“I don’t wanna hear that from  _ you _ ! And who says there’s going to  _ be _ a next time?!”

“Aww, don’t be that way, Bon! I know you like her! It’s so obvious! Hey, I’ll even back off, so she’s all yours. Just go offer to get her a drink or something! You’ve gotta start somewhere!”

“Shut up!” I snap hotly. 

He just shrugs. “All I’m sayin’ is you should make sure the feeling’s mutual, dude.”

_ I can’t do that! Can I? How can I talk to her normally after that? Will she still talk to me after I said that? Oh, god, I must look like an absolute moron to her! Okay, I shouldn’t worry about it too much. She probably thought I was overreacting or something. It was just a joke. Maybe I should just give it a try? Yeah, I think I will. _

“Hey, Rin,” I call out before I can change my mind. “Anything you want to drink?”

“I’ll come choose one!” she answers, grinning at me as she gets up and heads to the drink cooler. 

  
  


Rin POV:

“Now then,” says Yukio when we’re all done eating, “this concludes dinner, and now I’ll begin to explain the content of this training camp.”

“In other words,” Shura giggles, “a test of courage! A test of courage!” She has been drinking all night, and now her face is flushed. There is no way she’s still even a little bit sober.  _ Great. We’ve got a fifteen-year-old and a drunkard leading our class. _

“Shura, we’re in the middle of work here…” Look at Yukio, trying to be the responsible adult. He’s so cute. But, I guess someone has to do it, if the actual adult won’t. Right?

“Hey!” Suguro shouts angrily, pointing at Shura. “What’s with her? Didn’t she say that she was eighteen? She’s under aged!” He’s referring to Shura’s drinking, I’m guessing.  _ Is that how old she told them she was? How is that possible, if she was taken in as my father’s apprentice two years before Yukio and I were born? She would still have been a baby, wouldn’t she? No more than a year old, which would make her claim impossible. _

“Eighteen?” Yukio asks, confused. “What are you talking about? This year she turned twenty-si—”  _ clang! _ Shura’s empty beer can hits the side of his head. I almost laugh at the sound, but I get the feeling that’s a bad idea at the moment, so I turn my laugh into an unconvincing cough. 

“Uh oh, my hand slipped,” she slurs. 

Had my brother been the one to inherit Satan’s flames, I’m sure he would be literally flaring up in anger right now. “Cut the crap and get to work already!” Yukio growls. He’s definitely pissed.

“Ahahahaha, I made him mad!” Shura drunkenly laughs as Yukio tries to compose himself and act professional again. 

He clears his throat, as if trying to regain his composure and dignity at least a little bit. “Anyway, I’ll now run through the plan.” I can tell he’s trying hard to forget and forgive Shura’s rowdy, unprofessional behavior. “To begin, everyone must leave this base and scatter in different directions. Somewhere in this forest is a lantern, which you must light before you can return. For the next three days of this training camp, only those who can light the lanterns and return safely will have the right to participate in actual combat missions. However, there are only three lanterns available. The only information I can give you is this: the lanterns are located within 500 meters of this base. To put it simply, there are only three positions available to be qualified for actual combat missions. Moving on, I’ll brief you on the contents of the shoulder bag we handed out earlier. There’s enough supplies of food and water to last you three days, as well as a sleeping bag, towel, tissues, daily necessities, as well as a compass, torch for night use, fireworks for repelling demons, a single match and various other things inside. As I said earlier, once night falls this forest becomes a nest for lower-level demons. Considering your current level of strength, most of you will barely make it through. If you feel like you are in too much danger, please use the demon repelling fireworks. Either Ms. Kirigakure or I will come to collect you within two minutes.”

“You said you’ve given us a single match though…?” inquires Konekomaru.

“Basically, if you use it to light the firework you’ll no longer be able to light the lantern. Please think carefully before using it,” Yukio tells us.  _ So, basically, it’s a lose-lose situation. If you can’t handle yourself in a dangerous situation like this, you completely lose your chance at getting a lantern. _ “Furthermore,” my brother continues, “the lantern has been specifically made so that we’ll know as soon as it has been lit. If you only light the lantern as you approach the base, you’ll be disqualified. If the flame goes out on your way to the base, you’ll be disqualified. And of course, if you use the firework to give up you’ll be disqualified. To think carefully about your strengths and use them to their fullest is the quickest way to win!”  _ You’re still not that good at this ‘motivational speech’ thing, brother.  _ “And now, everyone, please prepare yourselves.”

“So basically, all we have to do is go out in the forest, find a lamp, light it, and bring it back,” I mutter to myself. “Sounds easy enough.”

I hear some drunk giggling behind me, and an arm goes around my shoulder. “C’mere, you!” Shura snickers, red-faced, very unsubtly pulling me away from the others. “Do you really understand?”

“What?”  _ What’s she talking about? _

“You can’t do the same thing as the last esquire exam,” she slurs. “Inna dark forest like this you’ll be found out ASAP.” I realize exactly what she means an instant before she actually says it. “Don’t bring out your flames!” She’s serious now, no more drunken laughing. “Never forget that I’m still an inspector. If the truth about you wielding Satan’s flames were to come out, I’d hafta report you to the higher ups. And if I did that, everyone from the upper classes of Arc Knights and the current paladin… Guys who seem more like demons than monsters will come to exterminate you. And even if they don’t, you won’t be able to go back to the Academy, right? Still, how are you going to fight without your flames? You can’t win by just runnin’ about and swingin’ that wooden sword of yours.” She releases me and pushes away. “Like Yukio said: ‘please think carefully before using it.’”

As I rejoin the group, armed with my backpack and wooden sword, Suguro approaches me, looking concerned. “You look kinda pale,” he tells me. “What happened to all that energy you had earlier? Don’t tell me that you, of all people, are scared?”

There is no way I’m going to show any weakness. “Nothing happened to my energy. And don’t you ever assume that I’m scared of something. It takes a lot to terrify _me._ ”

“Is that a challenge, Rin?” Gone is the worry. He’s smirking now. 

I shrug. “If you want. You just worry about yourself, yeah?”

He nods once. “I planned to. This training was designed to make us compete against each other. The only way to do this correctly is to think for yourself. There’ll be no cooperation between us.”

“Yeah.” He does have a point. 

“Alright!” Yukio announces. We’re about to start. “Ready… Set…” Then he fires his gun into the air, signaling that the training has begun. We all run off in different directions. 

Immediately, once I’m outside the protective circle, I am accosted by tons of demonic moths. I swat them away as I run, trying to think of a way to deal with them without using my flames.  _ Come on, Rin! Think! How do I do this?! _

It’s not long before I hear the scream. It’s Shiemi. Abandoning all thoughts of not cooperating, I run towards the sound without a second thought. “Shiemi!” I scream. “Shiemi!” 

I eventually find her covered in moths and unconscious. “Hang in there, Shiemi!”  _ Oh no. This is bad. _ She looks injured. A trickle of blood is running down her face from the top of her head.  _ No… not my sweet little Shiemi… please… _ _ Get away from her! _ I shout in my mind at the demons, and suddenly we’re both engulfed in blue flames. 

The demons are gone in an instant, and Shiemi isn’t injured, but I screwed up.  _ No, no, no! Go away, flames! _ I try to get myself back under control as soon as possible. There’s no way people didn’t see that, not in this darkness. Someone will probably be here soon. Not again!  _ Get a grip on yourself! _ My flames are gone now.  _ Why am I like this?  _ I berate myself.  _ Using my flames is a habit now. _

“Hey,” I put my hand on Shiemi’s shoulder and try to wake her. She  _ is _ alive, I can hear her breathing, but is she uninjured enough to continue? “Are you alright, Shiemi?” I need her to wake up. 

I hear a rustling from the bushes, and I look over to see Suguro staring at me in shock. “You…” he says. “What was that just now?” 

Fear floods my mind while my blood freezes in my veins.  _ Did he see me using my flames? _ “Suguro…”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin slightly screws up, Ryuuji confesses to Rin, Renzo accidentally attacks Rin, and Konekomaru realizes the importance of teamwork in their training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. I’m kinda feeling generous today, so here’s another chapter. Enjoy!

Ryuuji POV:

It’s not long after I exit the protective circle that I hear the scream. I think it’s Moriyama. I’m about to go help her when I hear a second voice screaming. “Shiemi! Shiemi!”  _ Rin? Of course she wouldn’t hesitate to help her friend. _

Suddenly there’s a blinding blue flash of light, and I have to cover my eyes.  _ What the— What is that?! _ When the light subsides, I make my way over to where the screams came from, and I hear Rin’s voice.

“Hey. Are you alright, Shiemi?” There is no answer.

The bushes rustle as I push my way through them to find Rin kneeling down beside an unconscious Moriyama, looking worried. “You… What was that just now?” 

She looks shocked and terrified to see me. “Suguro…”

“Is Moriyama okay?” 

“Probably,” she says, visibly relaxing a little when she hears my question, “for the moment, anyway. Her head’s bleeding, though.”

“I see.” I hope Rin’s not hurt. I should ask. “How about you? Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good.” I notice her flashlight is on. “Switch your light off. The moths are attracted to it.”

“Right.” She turns off both her light and Moriyama’s. 

“So, anyway,” I say, curious, “what was that blue light just now?”  _ If I saw it, maybe she did too. _ “It was so dark and the light shone so suddenly, I was practically blinded. I could hardly see what it was.”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Who knows? I couldn’t see it either. So, anyways, what did you come here for?”

_ What the— _ “What for…? I came here to help you!”

“Weren’t you the one who said he wasn’t going to help anyone?” she asks, repeating my words from earlier. 

“Shut up!” I blush because she’s right. “What kinda guy would I be if I ignored two girls screaming like that? It sounded like Moriyama was going to die!”

“Well, since it seems like Shiemi’s going to be okay,” she says, “you can go on ahead and leave everything to me now.” Is she trying to make me leave?

“Leave everything to you?” I am opposed to the idea. 

“I’ll return Shiemi to the camp, then I’ll just retrace my steps back.”

“And if you get hurt along the way?” I ask skeptically. 

“I won’t,” Rin promises. 

I sigh. I can’t trust that she’ll be completely safe. She might not die during this exercise, but she still might get hurt, and I don’t think I could bear to see her injured. I think it might be time that I tell her that I love her. “Look, Rin, I should probably tell you something. I don’t know if you know how I feel about you, but…”

“Stop.” The look in her eyes silences me. Those are eyes that know exactly what I’m about to say. “I  _ do _ know how you feel about me. At least, I think I have a pretty good idea. Especially after you accidentally proposed to me.” She’s right on target. “But please, listen to me. You don’t want me. Trust me on this. You really don’t. Look, what do you really know about me? About my past, my present, my secrets? I get the feeling you know I’m not completely human, and you’re right about that, but I’m not what you think I am. So I’m begging you to let it go.” She looks at me with pleading eyes. She knows I like her. She knows I realize she’s not a hundred percent human. And she knows I know she has a secret, and I’m pretty sure that she thinks that if I ever find out about it, I’ll surely hate her. 

I consider Rin’s words for a moment. I could never hate her. What is she that I don’t think she is? A delinquent? Not really Mr. Okumura’s twin? Maybe she has a sadistic side? But whatever it is… I let my actions do the talking this time, leaning in on an impulse and kissing her, my hands moving to her hips. She doesn’t resist, probably out of surprise at first, but after a few seconds, she doesn’t push me away, so I keep my lips on hers for a little longer. Finally, I pull away. “The problem is,” I say softly, “I love you too much to care.” I don’t care what Rin is. I won’t stop loving her, no matter what, even if her secret turns out to be something horrible. Suddenly it actually registers that  _ I just kissed Rin Okumura.  _ And she didn’t hate it. And she doesn’t seem to hate me either. 

  
  


Rin POV:

“You…” Suguro says slowly. “What was that just now?”

Fear floods my mind.  _ Did he see me using my flames? _ “Suguro…”

“Is Moriyama okay?”  _ Huh? So he didn’t see me using my power? _

“Probably,” I say, to answer his question, “for the moment, anyway. Her head’s bleeding, though.” I can relax a little bit. 

“I see. How about you? Are you alright?”  _ Why does he seem more concerned about me than he did about Shiemi? _

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say evenly. I’m relieved that I haven’t broken character yet. The only thing I can do is play dumb if he asks me about my flames. 

“Good.” He nods once. “Switch your light off. The moths are attracted to it.”

“Right.” I first turn my flashlight off, then Shiemi’s. 

“So, anyway,” he says as I’m turning off Shiemi’s flashlight, “what was that blue light just now?”  _ Crap. I’m in trouble. _ “It was so dark and the light shone so suddenly, I was practically blinded. I could hardly see what it was.”

I somehow manage to remain calm and appear ignorant as I nonchalantly shrug my shoulders. “Who knows? I couldn’t see it either.”  _ I have to change the subject. Now. _ “So, anyways, what did you come here for?”

He seems baffled by my question. “What for…? I came here to help you!”

_ Huh? _ “Weren’t you the one who said he wasn’t going to help anyone?”

“Shut up!” He blushes. “What kinda guy would I be if I ignored two girls screaming like that? It sounded like Moriyama was going to die!”

“Well, since it seems like Shiemi’s going to be okay,” I say, “you can go on ahead and leave everything to me now.”

“Leave everything to you?” He seems opposed to the idea. 

“I’ll return Shiemi to the camp, then I’ll just retrace my steps back.”

“And if you get hurt along the way?” Suguro asks skeptically. 

“I won’t,” I promise. 

Suguro sighs. “Look, Rin, I should probably tell you something. I don’t know if you know how I feel about you, but…”

“Stop.” I know where this is going. “I  _ do _ know how you feel about me. At least, I think I have a pretty good idea. Especially after you accidentally proposed to me.” I’m positive now that, as unintentional as it was, he wasn’t joking about it. The poor guy is in love with me, though I can’t fathom why. “But please, listen to me. You don’t want me. Trust me on this. You really don’t.” He doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know the real me. “Look, what do you really know about me? About my past, my present, my secrets?” Nothing. That’s what he knows. Not once have Yukio and I talked about our past. I’ve mentioned our dad a few times in passing, but that’s all. “I get the feeling you know I’m not completely human, and you’re right about that,” I tell him, because I think he’s known for a while, “but I’m not what you think I am.” I don’t know what or who he thinks I’m related to, but whatever he thinks, he’s wrong. Because there’s no way he’d consider that Satan is my father. “So I’m begging you to let it go.” I look at him with my most pleading eyes. I know he likes me. I’m positive of that now. I think I might actually have feelings for him, too. But if he ever finds out about me, he’ll surely hate me. If he ever finds out who I am, who I’m related to, he’ll never see me as his comrade again. 

Suguro considers my words for a moment, then does something I don’t expect: he leans in and kisses me, his lips pressing gently against mine as his fingers lightly grasp at my hips. Time slows down while my heartbeat speeds up. I can’t even bring myself to pull away from him. First from shock, but once that fades away, I don’t know what keeps me from breaking off the kiss. Finally, he pulls away. “The problem is,” he says softly, “I love you too much to care.”

I sit here on the ground, dazed, blushing, and unable to move. What’s strange is that, even though that was my first kiss, I didn’t hate it. I actually… kinda liked it. And considering that I do actually like Suguro a bit, I’m actually thinking that a part of me wouldn’t mind that happening again, but then Shiemi stirs, waking up, and Suguro springs away from me in embarrassment. Seems he also had the illusion that we were alone, at least for a few moments. But at least her waking gives me an excuse to talk to someone other than Suguro. It’s less awkward with her. 

“Shiemi!” She hears my voice and turns toward me. 

“Rin?” she says groggily. “Ugh, it’s dark out…” Fortunately, it’s probably too dark for her to see how red my face still is, since I turned all our lights off. Then she sits straight up in horror. “Nii!” She finds a ripped little square of paper next to her, and picks it up. Tears well up in her eyes. “Nii…” I can see the remains of a magic circle on the paper, and I can only assume that the moths did that. Nii is gone. 

“You can summon the same familiar again if you still have the magic circle,” says Suguro helpfully. “Where’s the stock of paper you drew the circle on?”

“I see…” she says as she wipes her tears away and rummages through her pack. “It seems like some of my stuff fell out when I was attacked.”

_ Wait. Wait. WAIT.  _ “You were attacked by those moths?” I ask. 

“I was hit on the head as soon as I turned around, and I blacked out. But it seemed to be a giant moth,” she explains. 

I have so many questions but no time to ask them because even though our lights are off, I can see a moth. That means someone is close with a light. I can sense them coming. “Get down!” I order the others, as a figure comes barreling through the shrubbery and attacks. I bring up my wooden sword to block just in time for our attacker’s weapon to make contact with it. He — and it’s definitely a he, based on the size and solidity of him — ends up landing on me and knocking me to the ground so that I’m on my back, and he’s straddling my hips as our weapons face resistance against each other. Then I get a good look at his face, and realize who it is. “Shima?”

“Rin?” Or, at least, that’s what I think he says. He’s got his flashlight in his mouth. He puts down his weapon in surprise, and I do the same. 

Then the reality of how we’re positioned hits me. “Um, do you think you could, uh, get off me, please?” I ask, trying not to blush. It’s not that I can’t take his weight, but he’s in a rather awkward position. On top of me. 

But before he can do anything, he’s dragged off of me by a rather angry Suguro pulling him by the scruff of his neck. Within seconds, Shiemi is by my side as I sit up.

“Are you okay, Rin?” She looks so worried. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I smile reassuringly at her. “It was just a bit awkward. Don’t worry.”  _ Almost as awkward as Suguro kissing me out of the blue… And the fact that I kind of enjoyed Suguro’s kiss does not make it any better.  _

“Shima! Turn your light off! And what do you think you were doing, assaulting Rin like that!” Suguro yells as I get up (with Shiemi’s unnecessary help, but I appreciate her trying). 

“I didn’t even know she was there! And there’s no way I’d go after your fiancé on purpose!” Shima defends himself as he clicks off his light. 

“If you recall,” I interrupt before Suguro can say anything, “I’m not his fiancé. I never actually said ‘yes.’”  _ The nerve of him, calling me that! _

“And I didn’t even mean to propose to her!” says Suguro angrily. “It just sort of slipped out! I wasn’t expecting dinner to be  _ that _ amazing! None of us were!”

“Anyway!” Shima shouts before Suguro and I can yell at him some more. “What are you all doing here?”

“Same goes for you,” snarls Suguro.  _ Is he still angry at Shima for attacking me unintentionally? Or is it because we landed weird? Maybe it’s both? _

“A swarm of moths surrounded me. After that, I don’t remember anything,” says Shima. 

“Oh, yeah, you really hate bugs…” Suguro says as if he’d forgotten.  _ Well, I guess the good news is that he no longer seems angry…  _

Then, simultaneously, both Shima and Suguro’s phones go off. 

Suguro opens his phone and stares at it for a moment before turning it around so we can all see the message on the screen. “It’s from Konekomaru,” he says. 

_ I’ve found the lantern. I now know that this training is definitely impossible to complete by myself. Let’s cooperate, _ it says. It gives us a location.   
  


“Bon?” Konekomaru whispers as we emerge from the bushes. 

“Konekomaru!” Shima calls. 

“Shima! And you brought Rin and Moriyama too… thank goodness! It’s over here!”

We all stare at the lantern when we see it. “Huh? What is this?!” Shima says in shock.

“Hmm, I get it now,” says Suguro. “You really can’t carry this by yourself.”

Of course he can’t. The thing is huge and made of stone. At least there’s a cart beside it, so it can be pulled, but it’s obviously still more than a tiny person like Konekomaru can handle on his own.

“This is huge! This isn’t what I imagined when Yukio said we had to bring back a lantern!”  _ I thought he meant an actual lantern, not whatever this is! _

“It’s a Peg Lantern,” explains the all-knowing Suguro. “At night, it lies in wait for someone to light it. Once the fire has been lit, the lantern begins to move and eats anything living for its fuel. Women in particular are its favorite. It’ll be unable to move once it’s run out of fuel or when morning breaks… That’s the kind of demon it is.”

“Just by looking at it, I can’t help but think we’ve misinterpreted the rules,” says Konekomaru.

“Guess so. In this training exercise, everyone will need to cooperate,” admits Suguro. 

“That so, Bon?” Shima teases. “Weren’t you the one saying ‘there’ll be no cooperation between us’ before, hmm?” 

It’s almost hilarious how quickly Suguro’s face turns red with anger. “Tch! I was confused by the fact that he said there were only three lantern positions available for actual fighting!”

“Mr. Okumura certainly did say that there were ‘three lanterns’ available and not ‘three people’.” If I recall correctly, Konekomaru is right. 

“So, how are we going to move this thing, anyway?” I ask to change the subject.

“Um… I’ve thought of a formation the five of us could use to carry it for the moment,” volunteers Konekomaru. “First, we’ll load the Peg Lantern onto the cart.” Shima, Suguro and I do this. “We’ll have to seal it so it can’t move once the fire has been lit. We’ll place talismans on all four sides of the Peg Lantern’s pedestal in order to seal it. Once we’ve placed the talismans on the Peg Lantern directly, we’ll continue chanting a Buddhist sutra to support its effects. Bon is the only one of us here who can recite it perfectly. But before we light it up, we need to gather some food for the Peg Lantern. We’ll use these Chuchi moths for its fuel. If the Peg Lantern’s supply of food dries up the fire will go out, so we’ll have to be feeding it constantly. This’ll be Moriyama’s job. And since once the fire has been lit this place will become lighter, the Chuchi will gather and attack us. Shima and I will act as guards. And finally, the one with the most horsepower out of all of us will be pulling the cart.” 

This means that I am the one pulling it. I can’t help but feel a surge of pride, since I’m probably stronger than all of these boys combined. I’m also thankful that I won’t have an opportunity to use my flames in front of them. I got lucky earlier, since Shiemi was unconscious and Suguro just missed them. 

We set up the formation and get going. As I single-handedly pull the cart in the direction of the camp, building up momentum, I can hear Shima’s surprised comments behind me. “Holy cow, that’s amazing. What planet did she come from? Can she bring back some other girls like her for the rest of us?”

_ Oh, Shima. There are no other girls like me. _

Several minutes into our trek back through the forest with the lantern, we see a firework. “I wonder who’s given up,” says Shima.

“Kamiki or Takara…?” wonders Shiemi.  _ It has to be one of those two. We’ve got the whole rest of our class right here. _

Suddenly, I see something that could be potentially problematic. “Hey, look! There’s a bridge!” That’s the nicest way I could put it. It’s more like a handful of ropes and several unevenly spaced wooden planks that look like they could break at any second. “What’re we gonna do? It looks more like a ladder than a bridge! There’s no way the cart’s gonna be able to cross that!”

“Not just the cart, I doubt it’s safe for people to cross either…” says Konekomaru dubiously.

Suddenly Shima screams.  _ Crap. Not even my voice could hit a pitch that high.  _ “Down there! There are worms!” The poor guy is absolutely terrified. 

Suddenly Suguro, who has been chanting his sutra since the beginning, takes Shima’s staff and starts poking it down into the bugs, probably testing the depth while Shima protests the inappropriate use of his staff.

Konekomaru is looking around, and sees the seals on top of the wooden arch leading to the bridge. “That’s the sanskrit character for Khan… There must be something sealed here as well. Everyone, watch out for the talismans and the ropes!” he warns.

“Anyway, how are we gonna carry the Peg Lantern over to the other side?” Shima is only asking the obvious question. 

_ I’ve thought of something, _ Suguro writes. While still reciting! Is there nothing this guy can’t do? I’m in the middle of wondering what he means when I finally think of the bigger question. Where did he get a drawing pad?

_ We’ll let the Peg Lantern go over by itself, _ he writes.  _ I’ll draw it. _ Then he draws an elaborate manga of his plan as he explains in writing.  _ First, Koneko and Rin will move the cart across to the other side. And since the bug swamp is fairly shallow you can wade through it. It’s probably safer than the bridge anyway. Konekomaru will be waiting on the opposite bank with a talisman. On this side of the bank, Shima will wait with Moriyama riding piggyback. I’ll unseal the Peg Lantern by taking off a talisman, and then Shima will run across to the other side while carrying Moriyama. The Peg Lantern will chase after Moriyama since it loves ladies. And when it gets there…  _ The last picture is of Konekomaru slapping the seal on the lantern, finishing the job.

Easy enough, but… “Suguro, your drawings are awesome!” Of course he has to be good at drawing, too.

_ Darn straight, _ he writes, blushing a little and giving a thumbs up.

“So I’m sealing it with a talisman, huh,” says Konekomaru.

“You’re trying to tell me I’m going to be wading through the bug swamp,” says Shima with a strange smile on his face. “Although, does that mean my head will be between Moriyama’s thighs?”  _ Terrified and lustful, _ I think.  _ That’s what he is right now. _ “I’m gonna die. In so many ways.” Tears are streaming down his face.  _ Oh, he’s going to die, all right. But only when I get to him if he defiles my sweet Shiemi. _

“Shima, crossing the bug swamp is a great way to get rid of your evil desires.” Trust Konekomaru to say something like that. 

“Even you, Konekomaru?! How cruel!”

_ You’re so stubborn, _ writes Suguro, glaring at Shima over his sketchbook. 

“Fine, I’ll carry her,” I finally volunteer.  _ There’s no way I’m letting Shima touch my precious, innocent Shiemi.  _

We get everything in position, according to Suguro’s plan. Well, mostly. It ends up that I have to carry both Shima and Shiemi after I get the cart across. 

It’s not that I mind going through the bugs multiple times. True, it feels weird because the bugs are all over my bare legs and up my skirt, but I’m not scared of bugs and none of them are exploring my… more intimate areas, so I deal with the temporary discomfort. But then the problem presents itself in the form of Shima. He is too scared to go in himself, because of all the worms, so I just volunteered to carry him across to make things easier. There’s some protesting about this by Suguro on his sketchbook, because, according to his note, he thinks Shima should just be a man and be the one to carry both me  _ and _ Shiemi across, but his fear of bugs mixed with his looking forward to his head being between my or Shiemi’s thighs would probably not go well. 

I almost don’t mind carrying Shima, especially if it hurts his dignity to be carried by a girl, but then when I put him down, his hand finds its way to my breast. And squeezes. Whether it was intentional or not, I don’t care. My open palm is already up and swinging toward his face. When I hear the sharp sound crack through the air, I can’t help but feel satisfied, since I’ve been wanting to do that for ages, and there’s a red mark where my hand met his face. Across the pit of bugs, out of the corner of my eye, I can see Suguro actually glaring daggers at Shima, as if promising to do much worse than slapping him as soon as possible. 

Surprisingly, Shiemi’s turn goes less smoothly. I kneel down to let her climb onto my shoulders. Once we’re in position, I tell her, “Alright, I’m going to stand up now. Hold on tight.”

“Got it.”

When I stand up, though, the thing she actually holds on tight to is not the thing I was expecting her to hold on tight to. “Ow ow ow! I didn’t mean my face!” She has her fingers in my eyes and nose, and it hurts. 

“S-sorry!”

“ _ Here _ , keep your hands  _ here _ !” I let go of one of her legs to move her hand to my forehead. Her other hand follows, and I decide we’re ready to go. I jump into the pit of worms, and immediately feel pain. “Ouch! Watch it!”

“I’m sorry!” She has grabbed fistfuls of my hair. 

Finally, we make it about halfway across before it’s time for Suguro to release the lantern. It chases us to the other side, and when we get there, there’s no time to waste. 

“Konekomaru!” I shout. “Take care of Shiemi!” I throw her onto the banks and duck down into the worms so that the lantern follows her rather than stopping at me. Fortunately, it does go after her. Before I know it, Konekomaru has sealed it again and we’re ready to go. 

Suguro has made his way to our side and is just reaching toward me to pull me out of the pit of bugs, but then I feel something that is not an average bug on my leg. Long tentacles wrap around my ankles and wrists, and hoist me into the air. I yelp in surprise. 

“Rin!” It’s almost hilarious that the guys are all in unison when they shout my name. 

“Rin!” It’s a lot less hilarious when it’s just Shiemi. 

_ Crap! My hands are caught!  _ “I’ll be fine!” I yell.  _ I can use my flames as soon as everyone has left.  _ “I’ll catch up as soon as I’ve defeated it! You guys go on ahead! The night’s nearly over! Hurry!” 

“You’re… doing it again.” Suguro scowls up at me, blushing.  _ Why is he blushing? _

“My bad!” I apologize sheepishly. 

“You need to get your head examined! As if we wouldn’t help you!”  _ What?! _ “Shima! Give me your staff! Get ready to run!”

Before I (or Shima) can protest, Suguro grabs Shima’s staff and a seal, and beats the monster easily. I’m about three meters in the air when he does. Which means I have about three meters to fall. It lasts only a couple of seconds, but that’s enough time for me to watch Suguro throw Shima’s staff to the side, lunge forward, and catch me bridal style in his arms. Immediately, he turns and runs toward the cart with me. I can’t help but feel the protective vibe coming from Suguro. And it only lasts a few seconds, but I feel… safe in his arms, just like I did when that demon attacked the girls’ bathroom and I blacked out from lack of air. What is happening to me? Why does this guy in particular make me feel like this? Then I’m back at the front of the cart, running as I pull it because we don’t have time to waste. 

“Thanks!” I shout at Suguro as we run, for saving me earlier. 

“Don’t thank me, I was only paying you back! You saved me. To have the same childish desire as me, of defeating Satan… and yet you yelled it without any embarrassment…” he reminds me.

“Well… I don’t really tend to think deeply about that sort of stuff,” I say as we stop to take a break. We don’t seem to be being chased, and we could use a breather before getting back to camp. 

“I don’t think you’re stupid,” he says, “but y’know, stop trying to fix everything by yourself. Don’t forget you have friends!”

“That’s right!” Konekomaru adds. “If you’re going to defeat Satan, you can’t do it by yourself.” 

“Trust Bon to say something that good,” says Shima. “Although, I’m gonna be totally useless when it comes to bugs.”

“Everyone’s with you, Rin!” Shiemi says kindly, a little blush dusting her cheeks. 

“Yeah…”  _ What if… everyone knew I was Satan’s daughter? _ I wonder as we get going again.  _ I wonder what they would do.  _

“I also want to apologize,” Suguro says as we walk, breaking me out of my thoughts. He’s blushing. 

“Huh? Why?”

“I kinda accidentally saw up your skirt when you were taken into the air earlier,” he says bashfully. “I’m sorry.”

I’m taken aback, but I appreciate his straightforwardness and his apology. “Eh.” I shrug nonchalantly. “It’s not like it was underwear. I like to wear black shorts under my skirt. So it’s not really a big deal.”

“Oh, I get it now,” Suguro nods in understanding. 

“But shorts or not,” moans Shima, “it was like a slice of pure heaven… Just like looking at an angel…”

First I feel surprised, because there’s not one bit of me that’s an angel, then I get angry. At least Suguro had the decency to confess his sin and apologize! Meanwhile, all Shima sees me as is an object to stare at! “When we get back to camp, Shima, I'm going to punch you in the face!”

“Huh?! But what about Bon?! Why just me?!” Shima whines. 

“Because  _ he _ isn’t a scumbag like  _ you _ are!”

I stay true to my word. As soon as we get back, my fist has a rather lovely meeting with Shima’s face, even though I hold back.

“Oh, good work,” says Shura when she sees that we’re back. “You managed to get back alright.”

We’re pretty proud of ourselves until we see Kamiki and Takara. And the two lanterns. They each brought one back.  _ It took five of us, exactly four humans and a half-demon, and they each managed to do it alone and get here before us?! How?! _

“You’re slow,” says Kamiki, when Suguro asks. “I just used my familiars. Takara got here before me.”

“Ouch!” Shiemi suddenly says, clutching at the back of her neck. 

“What’s wrong?” I ask. 

Before she can answer, Shura says something disturbing. “Huh? Isn’t this everyone? If no one has given up, who set off that firework earlier?”

No one has time to say anything before we hear, “TA-DAAAAHHH!” It’s right above us, and the one it belongs to lands right near us on top of a large, steed-like demon.  _ No, not  _ him _ again!  _ “Go, Behemoth!” Amaimon orders, and the beast charges.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin’s point of view of her fight with Amaimon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Here’s the next chapter. It’s kinda short, so I’m going to do a double update again today. Enjoy!

Rin POV

“Go, Behemoth!” Amaimon orders, and the beast charges. 

Shura pulls her sword from her chest, and swings it at the demon. Then she does something, using a snake and a magic circle, and Amaimon and his demon are thrown back a very large distance. 

The magic circle turns out to be a barrier that will protect everyone inside and keep anything out. 

“A protective barrier?” Suguro asks, probably wondering why we need such a thing in the first place. 

“So this is also part of our training?” Shima asks. “Don’t you think this is a little too advanced for us…?

“More importantly, what  _ was _ that thing just now?” asks Kamiki. 

“It’s the end of training for us,” Shura announces. I didn’t need to hear it from her; I already knew the instant I saw Amaimon. “From now on,” she continues, “we’ll be preparing against Amaimon’s attacks. I’ll have to use CCC concentrate holy water to reinforce the protection. Everyone, come here.”

“Amaimon?!”

“Are you talking about Amaimon, one of the eight kings? The king of earth?  _ He’s _ the demon we just saw?!”

“Yep, he’s a real big shot,” says Shura impatiently, tapping her foot. “Pretty much impossible for any exorcist to beat. That’s why I’ve gotta reinforce our defense. Come on, line up!”

We do as she says, and she splashes all of us individually with holy water. Well, almost all of us. When she gets to me, she almost hits me with the water, but pulls the jug back just in time before any splashes out. “Oops,” she mutters. “That was close. We’d have been screwed if I’d gotten any on you.” She recites a quick verse that will minimize any bodily damage until the holy water dries.  _ She’s right, _ I think.  _ If that stuff got on me, how badly would I be burned? How much stronger is that compared to what Mr. Neuhaus attacked me with? _

“Wait, why aren’t you going to put any on Rin?” Suguro asks.  _ Worried about my safety, Suguro? How sweet, but unnecessary. Even if I can’t use my flames, you were the one who said I have friends to protect me, right? And anyway, I’m a demon, so… holy water hurts me.  _ I know that firsthand, thanks to Neuhaus. 

“Oh, well, you see, she’s allergic to holy water,” explains Shura. I’m secretly thanking her. She’s not exactly lying, but she’s still keeping my secret. An allergy is actually a really good excuse. 

“I’ve never heard of something like that!”

“Anyway,” I interject before Suguro can ask too many questions about it, “what about Yukio?” I noted his absence earlier. Everyone else should have, too. 

“Now that you mention it…” ponders Shima. 

“Mmmm,” Shura hums, smirking a little. “He was just gonna be in the way, so I had him go off somewhere.”  _ Of course you did. I’m wondering how he’d be in the way if he’s a qualified exorcist, but whatever. _

And so the waiting begins. Kamiki tries to get in contact with Yukio and fails. Shura sits by the tents. Others ponder Amaimon’s reasoning for attacking us. I join Shura so I can talk to her in private. 

“Most likely I was the target of that demon,” I say quietly, getting straight to the point. 

“I know that, so stop worrying. I specifically set up this barrier to keep Amaimon out. Still, he seems to have a ton of strategies this time around,” says Shura. “The next time Amaimon comes to attack, I want you to take the Koma sword and get out of here.”

“The Koma sword?”  _ Is she serious? _ Although, I guess, seeing as how she’s pulling it out of a seal on her stomach (much like the one on her chest), I somehow doubt that she’s joking around. 

“Here you go.” She holds it out. I don’t know why, but I hesitate.  _ Why? Haven’t I been looking forward to this? _ “What’s wrong? Take it.”

_ Oh. I know why. _ “Didn’t you say you’d only give it back if I defeated you?” That was the deal, wasn’t it?

“Hmm? My other condition was I could give it back according to my judgement. So what’s wrong? Take it.”

“I thought you wanted me to suppress my power?” I avoid using the word ‘flames’ just in case there are eavesdroppers. But it seems that everyone else is a good enough distance from us that they couldn’t hear even if they wanted to with their inferior human ears. 

“Shut up,” she snickers. “You sparked up even after I warned you.” Then she becomes serious again. “But honestly, if you don’t have your flames, how are you going to fight? Amaimon is no small fry. He’s a demon king, for cryin’ out loud. Did you think of that?”

_ I did think of that. When we met, he was able to completely demolish me. He easily stole the Koma sword, riled me up, and almost made me reveal myself to everyone. And that was when he was just  _ playing _. But what could he do to me if he’s serious? If he really wants to hurt me? _

“Moriyama?” someone calls out, and I snap out of my thoughts. Shura and I turn to look at what’s going on. Shiemi is leaving, walking towards the edge of the magic circle that protects us. 

“Shiemi?!”

“Stop right there!” Shura yells, lunging after her. 

_ Something’s wrong. _ From where I am, I can barely see the outline of something underneath the skin of her neck. I don’t have time to wonder what it is, because Amaimon is now dropping out of the trees just on the other side of the barrier. “Shiemi!” I scream. I try to go to her, but I find Shura’s sword in front of me, holding me back. 

“What did you do to her?” Shura demands. 

“Mmm,” hums Amaimon. “I had a female chuchi lay her eggs inside her. Although it took a while from incubation until they were parasitically living in her nervous system.” Shiemi is now outside the circle, and Amaimon goes to her and hugs her head to his chest. “Right now, this girl will only obey my commands.” He picks her up, says, “Come on,” and springs away from camp. 

I don’t even think before I move. “Hey!” I yell. “Get back here, pointy head!” I am seriously pissed off right now. I’m only a few meters into the forest, however, when a large, somewhat familiar demon lands in front of me.  _ Right. Behemoth. I forgot about him _ . The thing charges at me, but Shura slashes him with her sword before he can attack. 

“You go on ahead!” She throws Kurikara at me, and I catch it. “I’ll catch up in a minute!”

“Right!”

I can hear Suguro’s protests behind me. “Rin! Wait! What can you even  _ do _ to fight against him?” I ignore him.  _ I can do plenty, I’m sure of it. _ “Rin!” My steps falter and I almost turn back when I hear his desperation.  _ Why? Why do I have the urge to stay here, with Suguro? Do I actually like him more than I originally thought I do? Is that what my true feelings are for him?  _ I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I continue my pursuit of Amaimon into the forest. _ No! Don’t you dare dwell on that, Rin! Focus on saving Shiemi, you moron! _

I catch up to Amaimon sooner than I expect, since it seems he just followed the line of the barrier and isn’t actually that far from camp. He doesn’t appear to have done anything to Shiemi yet. He’s just standing here with her perched on his arm. “What are you going to do to Shiemi?” I yell angrily. 

He looks at Shiemi thoughtfully. “What  _ should _ I do? Hmm,” he hums as he thinks (or pretends to think, but it doesn’t really matter which). “I know. I’ll make her my bride.”

“What?!”

“Now that’s been decided, it’s time for the vows.” He says some generic marriage vows. “Now, let’s seal our vows with a kiss.” He leans in with his disgusting mouth toward hers, but he never gets the chance to touch her. 

“Don’t screw around!” I scream as I almost literally fly forward, slamming the cloth case that covers Kurikara over his head. 

“What? Were you the one who wanted to be my bride?” Amaimon looks genuinely surprised.  _ Is he actually stupid, or is he just pretending? _ “Sorry, little sister, I only take one at a time, and I’ve already chosen this one. And ‘don’t screw around’ is  _ my _ line!” He attacks, and I go flying backward. “What’s the use of a sword if you don't unsheathe it?” I land on my back in a ground-breaking position. Literally. The ground shatters under me from the impact. But the assault doesn’t stop there. Attack after attack hits me. He finally stops when I’m laying face down on a large boulder, coughing up blood. “How strange. Isn’t this human girl important to you?”

I lift my head, glare at Amaimon, and growl two words through my bared fangs. “Drop dead.”

“Oh? I guess this girl is useless to me now. Since I’ve already gone to all this effort, I might as well take one of her eyes. My cousin loves the occult and asked me to get her some for her collection.” He reaches in with his claws toward Shiemi’s face. 

“Stop!” I scream. I can’t do anything. But then something rather unexpected happens. A firework flies towards us, out of nowhere, and hits Amaimon. My gaze follows the trajectory of the firework and finds Suguro at the end of it. As well as everyone else. 

“We’ve been feeling a little left out,” Suguro smirks, holding another firework at the ready. “And if you think we’re all okay with you picking on two girls, especially  _ those _ two girls, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“Stop!” I scream at Suguro. “Idiot!”

“Rin! Get out of here when you have the chance!” Suguro doesn’t seem keen on taking no for an answer, but I guess I’m a special kind of defiant. 

“ _ I’m _ going to save Shiemi!  _ You’re _ the ones who should get out of here!” I insist. I don’t need them here if I’m going to use my powers. 

Suddenly, a firework from Konekomaru accidentally goes off. And hits the pointy tip of hair on top of Amaimon’s head. Which is no longer pointy. As Konekomaru shouts about how it just slipped out of his hands, Amaimon feels the top of his head. Then I hear the most horrible sound: Shima’s laughter. 

Not that his laughter is unpleasant (it’s actually a rather nice sound, rather joyous), but this is  _ really _ not the time for it. “He looks like a broccoli!” he guffaws. Were this the right time and place, I’d be laughing with him. But this is Amaimon he’s laughing at, one of the eight demon kings. 

In a fraction of a second, Amaimon is in front of him, planting a kick in his gut. He flies backward. Various yells of “Shima!” fill the air as he hits a tree. 

Amaimon goes after Konekomaru and Suguro next, breaking Konekomaru’s arm. Konekomaru screams in agony, and, with his work done, Amaimon ignores him. Instead, his target is Suguro now. “Don’t laugh at me,” he growls as he grasps Suguro’s neck in his only free hand. He squeezes, and Suguro gasps for air. 

“Stop!” I scream.  _ I can’t take this anymore _ . “Just stop…” I can hardly hear my own hoarse voice.  _ I have to save them. No matter the cost, I have to protect my classmates.  _ The cloth covering over Kurikara is gone, now piled on the ground. “I can’t… take it anymore…”

“Rin!” Yukio is here now. “Don’t give in to him! It’s a trap!” my twin begs desperately, trying to get me to not do what I’m about to do. But I have no choice. I’m sick of lying to everyone, and this is the only way to be able to fight Amaimon and have even the slightest chance of winning. 

“Yukio… Ryuuji… Everyone, please forgive me.” This is the first time I’ve used Suguro’s first name. I don’t even know why I’m using it now. He’ll never want to talk to me again after this anyway. “I can’t hide the truth any longer. I’m so, so sorry.”  _ I want to use my flames in an act of kindness. _ I rip the blade from its sheath. In an instant, my blue flames are covering me and my ears have lengthened considerably. My tail unfurls itself from my stomach and escapes from my shirt. Words can’t describe how good this feels; my tail was covered up, like it was being oppressed before, but now it’s free. Just like I am. I’m free from lying to people all the time about who I am. Amaimon gasps happily and drops Suguro. “Come!” I shout. “I’ll be your opponent!” Unfortunately, though, an instant before Amaimon accepts my challenge, I see the look on Suguro’s face. Fear, shock, recognition, and betrayal all flash in his eyes as he takes in my appearance. All of which fight for dominance as he tries to decide which he feels the most. I don’t blame him. I’d feel the same if I were in his position. 

Then Amaimon is leaping toward me, and my attention is stolen. “Yaaaay!” he cries happily. The fight begins. As I use my flames to fight, Amaimon gets this twinkling look in his eye. “It’s so beautiful,” he gasps in pure joy. 

While he’s distracted by my flames, I hit him with a kick. He is seriously testing my patience right now. I land on his back in midair and position Kurikara above him. He grunts. “Burn,” I growl. And then I ignite both of us as I run my sword through his body. Suddenly, a white-hot pain shoots up my spine, and I scream. Amaimon is pulling my tail.  _ Hard _ . And it’s agony for me. 

_ Okay, first of all, could he be any more childish? Second of all, rude! I know I literally just stabbed him in the back, but still! There are things you just don’t do to someone! I’m sure that he knows how sensitive tails are, which is probably why he did it, since we’re in a fight and all, but I swear I’m going to kill him now. No joke. I am royally pissed off now. _

But his pulling my tail gave him the desired response; stopping my attack. He jumps backward to gain distance, but I lunge at him again. Halfway there, my intense rage blinds me, and I remember nothing more.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji’s point of view of Rin’s fight with Amaimon. He discovers her secret, and has some unexpected thoughts about it. The fight ends, and Rin meets the world’s greatest jerk. Mephisto’s hearing goes about as well as one would expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the second update of the day! It’s a lot longer than the last chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

Ryuuji POV:

Only when I hear the loud crashing sounds do I disregard all sense of my own safety and run after Rin. She needs help. I don’t care about our orders, I need to save her. Shima and Konekomaru follow. I find Rin, Moriyama, and Amaimon near the barrier, but only about a hundred meters away from where we were standing before. 

Amaimon is saying, “My cousin loves the occult and asked me to get her some for her collection.” He reaches in with his claws toward Moriyama’s face. 

“Stop!” Rin yells. On an impulse, I shoot a firework, and it hits Amaimon. Rin’s gaze follows the trajectory of the firework in horror to find the rest of us at the end. 

“We’ve been feeling a little left out,” I smirk, holding another firework at the ready. “And if you think we’re all okay with you picking on two girls, especially  _ those _ two girls, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“Stop!” Rin screams at me. “Idiot!”

Yeah, I  _ am  _ an idiot, but I don’t care. “Rin! Get out of here while you have the chance!” I won’t allow her to say no. I have to give her every chance I can to live. 

“ _ I’m _ going to save Shiemi!  _ You’re _ the ones who should get out of here!”

Suddenly an accidental firework from Neko hits Amaimon and turns his formerly pointy hair into what looks like a fluffy green broccoli. And Shima’s laughter couldn’t come at a more inappropriate time. I mean, it  _ does  _ look funny, but if I would only laugh if Amaimon was not a serious threat to us. Shima’s thrown backwards into a tree by Amaimon in retaliation. Neko gets his arm broken, and even though I haven’t made a sound or given any indication that I thought it was funny, the demon’s hand goes around my throat and squeezes. I can’t breathe. 

“Stop!” Rin screams. “Just stop…” I hear the sound of cloth falling to the ground behind me. What is she doing? I can’t see her. All I see now are black spots in my vision. If Amaimon doesn’t release me soon, I’ll either pass out or die, and I don’t want to do either.

“Rin!” Mr. Okumura is emerging from the trees, his sights set on his sister. “Don’t give in to him! It’s a trap!”

“Yukio… Ryuuji… Everyone, please forgive me,” Rin begs, her voice full of utter hopelessness. The fact that she used my first name just now doesn’t escape me. I can’t fathom why, but then I realize.  _ It sounds like she’s expecting to never say it again.  _ “I can’t hide the truth any longer. I’m so, so sorry.”  _ What truth? Am I about to learn her secret? _ The grip around my neck slackens and I drop to the ground. Amaimon is no longer interested in me. Instead, he’s moving toward Rin. I look at her to see what she’s talking about, what she could possibly be doing that would have Amaimon so interested in her. For the first time, I see her sword. And she’s finally getting ready to unsheathe it. 

When she does, something both beautiful and terrifying happens. Her pointy ears lengthen, her teeth (no,  _ fangs _ ) sharpen and become more prominent, and a furry tail unwinds itself from underneath her shirt. But there are two things that stand out to me most: the blue flames that seem to come from her, and the fact that the sword she’s carrying is none other than the Koma sword, Kurikara. 

This answers a lot of my questions. Why she’s ‘allergic to holy water’. Why she wanted to bathe separately from the other girls. Why she has pointy ears and sharp fangs. Why she never unsheathed her sword in front of us before. And, most of all, who at least one of her parents is. I always knew she wasn’t entirely human, perhaps related to some obscure demon, but I didn’t know what her heritage was exactly. Not that I cared back then, or that I even care now, but it all makes sense, and I can understand why she didn’t tell us. She’s the daughter of Satan. She’s the ultimate half-demon. 

“Come!” Rin shouts at Amaimon. “I’ll be your opponent!”

“Yaaaaay!” 

Their fight is vicious and lasts until sunrise. Somewhere along the line, she stabs him in the back (literally), and in retaliation, he pulls her tail. Rin screams in agony, and suddenly the Rin I know is replaced by a feral, bloodthirsty demon consumed by the blue flame of Satan. But she is also somehow still beautiful, as terrifying as she is right now. Her long hair flowing freely behind her, covered in blue; two flames resembling horns adorning the top of her head; her sword covered in blue flames; a flame on the fluffy end of her tail; even her fighting style, while unrefined and vicious, is beautiful. 

A thought occurs to me.  _ Why would her ambition be to defeat Satan, if he’s her father? What did he do to her to make her hate him?  _ It doesn’t make sense. I mean, Satan’s evil and all, so I’m sure no one with a conscience really  _ likes  _ him, but Rin seems to despise her demonic father with a special kind of passion. It’s not long before another thought occurs to me.  _ Hang on… if she’s the daughter of Satan, and he’s the king of demons and Gehenna, does that make Rin a princess? Oh, god, it does. I fell in love with an actual demon princess.  _ I never realized exactly how out of my league she is. And the fact that she’s a demon, strangely enough, doesn’t change the fact that I love her. But I’ll probably never stand a chance of being with her. This is why she said that I wouldn’t want her, but she’s wrong. I hate Satan with all my being, but Rin is not him. She’s a good person, and just happens to share some of his demonic DNA and powers. That doesn’t mean that she’s going to turn out like him, though. She will never be as evil as he is. 

We make it out of the forest, somehow, and back to the school. There, some people from the Vatican are waiting for us, as well as the chairman. The two fighting demons somehow make their way here too, but the chairman, Sir Pheles, somehow stops the fight, sealing Amaimon in a giant cuckoo clock and sheathing Rin’s sword, holding tightly onto her wrist. When the blue flames are out, she slumps backward, unconscious. 

  
  


Rin POV:

The next thing I know, the words “Wake up,” are in my ear, and the world feels lopsided. Someone has a grip on my right wrist, and I’m guessing that whoever it is, is the only thing keeping me from lying on the ground. I open my eyes and blink, trying to take in my surroundings. I think I’m on a bridge, and the one holding me is Mephisto.  _ What’s he doing here, I wonder? Doesn’t matter, I guess, for the moment. But what happened to Amaimon? What happened to  _ me _? _

“You don’t look like someone who’s about to have a demon sword-to-demon sword fight,” he whispers to me. 

“Huh?”  _ What’s he talking about? And how did I get here? What’s going on? _ I can see a strange man with long blond hair and a strangely large sword at the other end of the bridge. Suddenly he’s right in front of me, with his left hand on my neck and said sword under my chin.  _ What the heck? Who is this guy? _

“By order of True Cross Academy’s supreme advisor of Grigori,” he says, “I will execute Satan’s spawn.”  _ He’s an exorcist?! He’s probably even a high-ranking one, at that, to be wearing such fancy (and hideous) clothes. I’ll make sure to ask him later if I don’t die right now. _ There’s no point asking him what his problem is with me; he’s already said it, I’m Satan’s daughter. 

Suddenly Shura is in between us, defending me, and the man has disappeared into thin air, appearing a few meters back. They fight as I watch in shock and confusion.  _ What exactly happened when I was out? What did I do? Who is this guy? He must be part of the Vatican, right? Why is he even here? Oh, no. Did I go on another rampage, like I did the other day with Amaimon in the amusement park? This one must have been more intense, though. How did I get back to normal? _ I look over and see the Koma sword in Mephisto’s hands.  _ Did he sheathe it for me? _

The fight between Shura and blondie ends with his sword at her throat. “Shura,” he scolds like a disappointed parent. “Why are you protecting Satan’s spawn? Have you gone over to Mephisto’s side?”

“Not a chance,” she replies, scowling. 

“That reminds me,” says blondie, “I’d heard you’d been asked by Fujimoto to teach this brat about her demon sword.”

“What?” I’d been content to just stay silent and listen, but I couldn’t help but let the word slip out. It doesn’t matter, anyway. It seems like I’m still going to be ignored. 

“Even though you furiously yelled ‘Don’t joke around, you bald idiot!’ at him,” he continues, “don’t tell me you intend to comply with the will of your comatose teacher? For the man who was the most incompetent out of all who received the name of paladin?”

“You’re wrong, you retard! Baldy!” Shura snaps at him. “You’d never understand in your entire life, so back off!”

“But I’m not bald?” blondie questions, baffled. Then he laughs. “What an interesting joke!” Shura looks about ready to murder him. I’m not going stop her if she does decide to try. In fact, I might even help her. He just insulted my father, and I don’t intend to let him get away with it.  _ No, that’ll just hurt my image,  _ I scold myself.  _ They already see me as a monster, I shouldn’t give them even more reason to do so.  _ But then the man’s mood turns serious again. “However, the orders of the Grigori are absolute.” He falls silent as what must be an earpiece comes to life in his ear. He listens for a moment. “Yes. Understood,” he responds, and then turns his attention back to us. “An order has come from the Grigori,” he announces. “It’s been decided that I will now perform disciplinary action in interrogating Mephisto Pheles, the head of the Japanese branch. Naturally, I will also be taking Satan’s spawn as material evidence.” He means me.  _ Of course he does. _ It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. Fifteen years of life, and what I amount to is  _ Satan’s spawn _ and  _ material evidence.  _ I know I’m a half demon, but I’m still a person, with my own body and soul and memories. 

“Ah!” Mephisto exclaims. “I’m looking forward to it!”  _ He is way too enthusiastic about this. _

Blondie roughly grabs the back of my shirt so he can literally drag me there whether he has to or not.  _ Seriously, dude? I don’t really have a reason to resist right now. And, since Mephisto has my sword, I’m just a defenseless teenage girl right now. Except, I suppose, for my greater-than-average strength. And the flames I can conjure even when Kurikara is sheathed. Okay, I guess I’m not really just a defenseless teenage girl. _ “Shura,” says blondie. “I’ll also have you act as a witness.”

An exorcist is assigned the task of looking after the other esquires (who I have only just now realized are all here) while the four of us (Mephisto, blondie, Shura and I) go to the interrogation. 

For the first time, I look at my classmates. The only one who sticks out is Ryuuji (although now, I don’t have the right to call him that anymore). While everyone else looks betrayed, he just looks sad. And for some reason, that hurts me more than anything. There’s no way he could have known about me, but he saw me as a friend, didn’t he? More than that, actually. He told me he loved me. He kissed me. And I lied to him, to everyone, about who I am, about  _ what _ I am. I don’t deserve forgiveness for what I’ve done. This is such a change in his attitude from last night after dinner.  _ That’s right, it was last night. It’s early morning now…  _ But I don’t care what he thinks about me right now. Up until now, he kept telling me that we were friends, and I’ve only recently started to believe him. But I also realize, only now, that even more recently I feel something for him that’s a bit more than friendship. I think I might actually be slightly in love with him. This is probably the only reason I’m even able to ask him this one question: “Is everyone okay?!” I have to shout a bit, since they’re on the other end of the bridge and they don’t have sharp hearing like I do. 

He doesn’t say anything. But I can swear, for a moment, I see the tiniest hint of a nod, immediately before he has a fit of coughing, and Yukio checks to see if he’s alright. Relief floods my mind.  _ I didn’t hurt anyone. My fight stayed with Amaimon. That doesn’t excuse going on a rampage, but at least my friends stayed safe.  _

My twin takes the opportunity to herd everyone away. “I’ll explain everything,” he tells my classmates as he leads them through a portal. “For the moment, please calm down and come with us.”

The most heartbreaking thing is when Shiemi turns around one last time. “Rin…” she says sadly. Then she’s gone. 

“Shiemi…” I whisper, just as sadly. I hope she can understand, and forgive me for what I am. 

“Come here,” says blondie harshly, tugging on the back of my shirt roughly. I’m surprised he doesn’t tear the thing right off my back.  _ If he exposes me, I’ll set him on fire and turn him into a pile of ash. I don’t care what they do to me for it, I won’t let this man treat me like an object. _ “We’ll go directly through the Opera Courthouse’s ‘Door of the Accused.’” He drags me to said doorway, which has been opened by a portal key, then very unceremoniously shoves me through. 

I decide that I really don’t like this guy. He’s been nothing but rude to me since we met, and as far as I know, I’ve never done anything to him. Not to mention his fashion sense also leaves… well, pretty much  _ everything _ to be desired, which, coming from me, the girl who will literally wear anything lying around, especially her brother’s clothes, is saying something. 

The room we are now in is huge. There are two sets of stairs leading up to a balcony, where a row of what I assume are judges sit. One set of stairs leads up to a pedestal, where, I’m guessing, the accused, or in this case Mephisto, will stand. 

We’re a few meters in when blondie says to me, “Kneel there.” But he doesn’t even give me a full second to start moving before he kicks me in the back. “Faster!” I fall to my hands and knees. “Behave yourself.” 

That’s when I feel the blade sink easily through my boot and the calf beneath it as if it were warm butter. By no means did it go all the way through my leg, but it has definitely reached bone. Actually, it might have gone through my bone as well… My scream of agony rips through my throat. I think Shura says something, but I can’t hear it. I’m in too much pain. He’s just a flick of the wrist from cutting my leg off, and it  _ hurts _ . 

“It’s to stop her acting violent again. Besides, it’ll heal soon enough.”  _ I. Sincerely. Hate you. _ If he thinks this’ll stop me from ripping his throat out afterwards, he’s dead wrong. I wasn’t planning on acting violent again. I’d already calmed down from when I was fighting Amaimon. But if blondie wants to prod the big bad demon with his big sharp stick and see how much he can anger her before she snaps again, fine by me. Let him get himself killed if he wants to. No one can say he didn’t deserve it. 

“You haven’t changed a bit,” Shura snaps angrily. “Outside a saint, inside a devil.”

“Silence!” I’d forgotten the judges are here. The one in the middle of the balcony is the one who spoke, and I think he might be the one who’s in charge here. “The accused, to the witness stand,” he orders in a voice that screams authority. 

“The accused?” Mephisto asks too innocently. “Do you mean me?”  _ Why does he seem so amused? Is he sure he’s going to get away with something? _

“The castigation and interrogation of the accused, the head of the Japanese branch of the True Cross Order, Mephisto Pheles, is now an open court! The examiners are myself, Timote Timowas, the director and enforcer of the knights of the True Cross Order, and the acting paladin, Arthur August Angel, a first class upper exorcist.” The sword in my leg shifts a little bit, not enough to cut deeper, but enough to make it hurt more. Behind me, blondie makes a small grunt of pride, and I assume that he is Arthur August Angel. I have to fight back a groan and force my eyes not to roll.  _ Great. Of course, even his name is disgustingly pretentious. _ “As well as Grigori’s Knights of the True Cross supreme advisors acting as overseers. I’d like the court to look at an image of what just happened at the True Cross Academy campus.” An image pops up on a screen. 

Suddenly I’m looking at what is probably the scariest image of myself I’ve ever seen. Long fangs replace all my teeth. My ears are very long and very pointed. My tail appears to be thrashing wildly. And I have a rather vicious look of hatred on my face, probably directed at Amaimon. My blue eyes look absolutely feral. But the strangest thing is how beautiful I look, and I’m not trying to be vain. My long mane of hair is flying out behind me dramatically in a blue river of flame. The end of my tail is ignited, there are two tiny flames on my head like horns, and Kurikara is covered with the stuff. I’m almost convinced that creature in the photo is not me, could never be me, but other than Satan himself, I am the only person who has that kind of power. 

“Sir Pheles,” says Timote Timowas. “What is shown here… there is no doubt it is the same demon in front of us, correct?”

“Yes.”  _ Not even trying to deny it. _

“Then I shall ask you openly— isn’t that demon Satan’s child?”  _ Demon, demon, demon. Is that all he knows what to refer to me as?! What about ‘this teenage girl’? Or ‘the young woman in front of us’? Talk about racist.  _

“That is correct,” confirms Mephisto almost proudly. “Now is not the time for excuses.”

“In other words,” says one of the overseers, “fifteen years ago, when Shiro Fujimoto claimed to have exorcised the child of Satan with Kurikara, who lower second class Yuri Egin was pregnant with, are you saying that report was false?”

_ Yuri Egin… So is that my mother’s name? And she was an exorcist too? _

“Yes,” confirms Mephisto. “She gave birth to twins, one male and one female. The male, however, did not inherit Satan’s flames. The female, who did inherit his flames, is right here.” He points to me. “Left alone, she would have become a demon. The source of this child’s power is her demon heart, which I had sealed away with the Koma sword. And then she was secretly brought up by Shiro Fujimoto, until she was ready to accept her own powers.” He has a strange, scheming grin on his face. 

“For what purpose? What were your intentions, Sir Pheles?” Yeah, I’d like to know that too. Why keep me alive?

His grin grows wider. “In order to create a weapon to fight Satan!” He addresses the entire room. “I ask everyone here! Will you not make this gamble with me? Will you gamble that this child of Satan will become the demon queen of Gehenna? Or will she become Assiah’s savior? Of course, there is the condition that, during the bet, you must follow it through to the end.”

“Don’t let yourselves be fooled by this charlatan!” Arthur August Angel calls out to the jury.  _ Great. The moron is talking again.  _ It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. “Everyone, don’t tell me you could have possibly forgotten his lineage! His kind specializes in smooth-talking people! He conspired with Shiro Fujimoto to bring up Satan’s spawn! This is an undeniable fact!”  _ Blah, blah, blah. Shut up, you fancy monkey. You’re spouting nonsense. _ But he is succeeding in sowing the seeds of doubt in the overseers’ and judge’s minds. “He must have been intending to deceive the knights of the True Cross and overthrow them from within. If you believe his words, you’ll have fallen for his trick!”

It worked. Already there are people making comments. And already they are all annoying me. Every single one of them.  _ Congratulations, retards. _ When someone eventually calls to bring down Mephisto, I finally snap. I’ve had enough of these people, these  _ men _ , deciding another person’s fate. And they have gone so far as to have dared to presume things about me?

“Shut UP!” I scream over their idiotic chattering. Everyone immediately falls silent. “You…  _ morons _ … since the very beginning…” Just for show, I allow some of my flames to appear. I’m still angry at them, though, so the scary look on my face isn’t an act. “...just won’t shut up with your useless blabber! I’m not your weapon, demon queen,  _ or _ savior! I’m Rin Okumura! And I’m going to become the friggin’ best exorcist you’ve ever laid eyes on! I’ll make every single one of you remember it!”

The sword is pulled out of my leg. The good news: I can heal now. I don’t know how long it’ll take until I’m fully regenerated, but it looks like I’m going to be keeping my leg. The bad news: the sword is now at my throat. “The ‘best exorcist,’ you say?” Angel scoffs doubtfully as the bones, muscles, and skin of my leg start to knit themselves back together.  _ What a strange feeling.  _ “In other words, you mean you want to become a paladin? You, the disgusting child of Satan? How amusing.” 

_ Who are you calling disgusting? First of all, I didn’t choose to be the daughter of Satan, it just happened. If you want to blame anyone, blame him. Second of all, absolutely nothing could be more disgusting than your stupid outfit. _ “ _ I’m _ the disgusting one, huh? Before you answer that, let me ask you something. Do all paladins, acting  _ or _ official, look like you?” 

My question surprises him, and his face goes completely and pricelessly blank. I wish I had my phone so I could take a photo. “... What?”

“Because, when I’m a paladin, it’d suck to have to wear such lame clothing as yours,” I tell him truthfully. Angel’s face goes bright red, and he starts sputtering angrily. I can hear Shura, as well as a few others, snickering. But if he’s going to wear stuff like that, he should expect to be ridiculed for his taste in clothes. I wonder if he knows how dumb he looks. I mean, he was practically  _ begging _ me to make fun of him. 

“Unfortunately for you,” answers Angel, composing himself, “I had these clothes made-to-order.”  _ Why is that unfortunate for me? This is great news! For you, on the other hand… yeah, man, you have my greatest sympathies. _

“Silence, everyone! Put down your sword, Angel!” And just like that, the room is quiet and Angel’s sword is no longer within half a meter of me. 

After a vote, the council agrees (I think) to clear Mephisto of his betrayal charges under a certain set of conditions, the first of which is that I must pass the exorcist authorization exam which will be held in six months time. 

Mephisto, Shura and I are let go when they’re finished. By now, my leg has healed, so I can walk again. We exit the courtroom to find ourselves back at True Cross Academy, on the bridge we were on before. There, Shura agrees to teach me how to use my sword.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji’s view of the aftermath of Rin’s big reveal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s kinda short. Sorry about that! Next one will be longer.

Ryuuji POV:

“Rin Okumura,” begins Mr. Okumura, “is the child born of a human woman that Satan’s possessed body impregnated sixteen years ago. She inherited Satan’s flames.” We’re all gathered together in Koneko’s hospital room, sitting on stools as Mr. Okumura tells us about his sister. He’s sitting in front of us, leaning forward, with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. He sounds very… detached, somehow, as if Rin is just another demon he’s teaching us about. I can’t believe he’s being so nonchalant. That’s his  _ sister _ the Vatican just took away, and he’s acting like this is just another one of his lessons.  _ I thought he loved her? Or was that ‘protective brother’ thing at dinner last night just an act? _

“Um, Mr. Okumura…” Neko pipes up timidly, “isn’t it true that you’re Rin’s twin brother?”

“Rin and I are in fact twins, but unlike her, I didn’t inherit the flames,” he explains simply. “I undergo daily check-ups, but surprisingly enough, I’m just your average human.”  _ Daily? _ _ He has to get checked  _ daily _?!  _ “By sealing Rin Okumura’s flames inside Kurikara, she was raised as a relatively normal human for the last fifteen years. However, Kurikara can no longer hold her flames in check. Her power was awoken approximately three months ago. Until then, Rin was brought up without any knowledge of who she really was.”

“Why?” I ask. “What was she raised for?”

Mr. Okumura stands up. “To be frank, I don’t understand it either. Sorry, but that’s all I know about this.” And then he leaves us, without saying another word. 

I lay in bed, having gone back to my dorm, thinking about what Mr. Okumura told us about Rin. To sum it up, she’s the half-demon daughter of Satan and the sole inheritor of Satan’s blue flames, which she only discovered three months ago and has been hiding ever since, and consequently has no control over them because no one has taught her how to use them. I couldn’t ever imagine being in her position. It must have been hard to keep her secret for so long. She thought she was a normal human until very recently, so to discover that her father is a demon and that she inherited his power must have been overwhelming. 

_ Three months ago… _ That was right about the time when we started high school. Assuming that her power awoke just before then, it must have been quite a shock for her to switch from living a comfortable, normal, human life to entering the intensive training required to become an exorcist, the type of person who is typically trained to fight against demons like her. 

_ No, she’s no demon,  _ I remind myself. If anything, she’s more human than any of us. She has a kind and caring heart, one that exceeds even that of a regular human. That doesn’t change or excuse the fact that she kept a huge secret from us, but I can understand why. Being the daughter of Satan is kinda a big thing. She didn’t tell anyone because her existence has been kept a secret her whole life, that much is clear, but I don’t understand why. What I do understand is that she was between the proverbial rock and a hard place. She had no choice but to keep her heritage from us. And for that, I can forgive her. I refuse to stop being her friend because of something so trivial as species. And I’m probably too deeply in love with her to just stop. She hasn’t changed at all, really. All that happened was that we learned something new about her. 

I wonder how she adapted to her new physical features. Her ears, her teeth, her tail. I’ll probably ask her one of these days, if I can. Clearly, if she thought she was human all these years, she didn’t have her demonic features until recently.  _ Was it difficult to learn how to eat with her fangs? Does she have more sensitive hearing now than she did before, when she didn’t know her heritage? How does she control her tail? _ I have all of these questions and more. This is good. I want her to know I’m interested in her, that I’m not going to push her away like she did to us for the past three months. I want her to know that I’m still in love with her, no matter who her father is or what she is capable of. I want her to know that I’m not angry with her, just sad that she couldn’t trust anyone with her secret.

“Forgive me,” I beg Konekomaru as he lays in his hospital bed. He does have a broken arm, after all. 

“What are you apologizing for?”

_ How could he ask that?  _ “It’s just… It’s all my fault that you guys got injured.”  _ I just had to fall for her, didn’t I? I just had to try and show off for her.  _

“Exactly.”  _ Huh? _ “We’re not going to be happy if you don’t look out for yourself more.”

“Forgive me!” I bow low in my seat by Neko’s bedside. 

“More importantly than that,” he says, and I look up, “what you said about the Koma sword… is it true?”

“Yeah…” That was definitely the sword I saw Rin unsheathe that night. “There’s no mistaking it. Ever since I was a kid, the head monk has been constantly showing me a photograph of it.” Why would she have  _ that _ sword, of all things? Where did she get it?

“Mr. Okumura also said that it was, didn’t he?”

“What do you think, Konekomaru?”

“What do  _ I  _ think? I’m confused. That sword had been missing since before we were born, and yet here Rin is, with no ties to our temple, wielding it. What about you, Bon?”

“I…”

“With such a pretty nurse as you, it’d be worth breaking my ribs just to be hospitalized!” a newcomer’s voice interrupts me. 

“Huh?” The poor nurse he’s talking to looks confused and harassed. 

_ Oh, god.  _ “Shima…”

“I swear someday I’ll be hospitalized!” he promises the nurse before running into Koneko’s room and stopping on the other side of his bed. “Ah! Bon! Koneko! It’s bad! The quality of the nurses here is the best…”  _ Can’t he focus on anything but girls for more than five seconds? _ In annoyance, I snatch his beanie off his head. “Hey! What did you do that for?! No, seriously, it’s bad! Something has happened to the head monk!”

“The head monk…?”

“Bon, have you gotten in contact with Okami and the head monk yet?” Neko asks while we’re waiting for cram school to start. 

“Nope.” Of course I haven’t. 

“Bon…”

“I brushed aside my family’s objections, and came here prepared to never return!”

“That might be true,” says Shima from his spot behind me, “but I have a bad feeling about this. I haven’t been able to get in contact with my family since yesterday.”

“Me too,” admits Konekomaru. “Could it possibly be that even the monk…”

“I’ll think about it.” Maybe they’re right. Maybe I  _ should  _ try calling my parents. 

We hear the door creaking open, and Shima says, “Oh, the teacher’s finally coming…” But then we see who it is. “Huh?”

“Good luck, esquires!” he chirps cheerfully. “Congratulations on everyone achieving the right to participate in a real mission on the other day’s test.”

“The director?!” Shima wonders.  _ What is Sir Pheles doing here? _

“And so,” the director continues, “to congratulate those who earned the right to participate in a real fight, I want you to join the expedition to Kyoto!”

“Kyoto?” I hear Kamiki say. 

_ Oh god, _ I think.  _ Why Kyoto, of all places? _

“Bon?” Konekomaru asks nervously. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin’s POV of the aftermath of her secret being revealed. Rin learns a method to control her flames, goes on a job with Yukio and Shura, and has a moment of self-reflection and realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pi Day, everyone! Sorry it’s been awhile since the last update. I’ve been kinda busy with a cosplay and haven’t had much attention on this fic. I only remembered about it because of all the kudos and nice comments I’ve been getting (I haven’t gotten a single negative review!) and I would like to thank everyone for keeping me motivated to continue posting. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Rin POV:

To be honest, I’m kinda nervous. On one hand, I’m relieved that I can finally let loose and not have to hide my tail anymore because everyone knows about it now, but on the other hand, the problem is that everyone knows about it now. And about me. Yukio said he explained it to the other esquires the other day, after my fight with Amaimon. They all know which demon is my father and what powers I inherited. And that’s why I’m nervous: they’re all going to hate me now, even after I became friends with most of them (most, as in not including Takara, because he’s no one’s friend). I think I did, anyway. But any chance of any of them being my friends now is gone. I lied to them. I betrayed them. Up until now, most of them probably thought I was just a weird human. Or, at the very least, they might have caught on to the fact that I’m half demon. Either way, no one knew my parentage until that night. So what will they think when the spawn of Satan shows up in class like normal? I’m especially worried about Suguro being here, since I am 88% positive that he doesn’t like me anymore. There’s no way he still has a crush on me after what I just did, how I went berserk. But that only begs the question, what exactly does he think of me now?

I shake my head to clear my thoughts as I head down the hall of the cram school to my classroom. I can’t dwell on that. Whatever happens, happens. And if it turns out I need to fix things, I will do my best to do so. Too soon, I reach the classroom. 

_ Well, here goes nothing, _ I think as I steel my nerves, and I open the door. “Hey, everyone,” I greet the room. That is, before I realize it’s mostly empty. Only Kamiki, Shiemi, and Takara are here. “Huh? There’s hardly anyone here.”  _ Way to state the obvious, moron. _ “Hey, where are the Kyoto trio?” The Kyoto trio consists of Suguro, Shima, and Konekomaru, with Kyoto being their hometown. For their absence, though, I am thankful. At least I don’t have to face  _ him  _ today. 

“They’re still resting at the hospital,” answers Kamiki.  _ Thank goodness! At least one person is still talking to me! _ “And Miwa is undergoing surgery.”

“Oh, I see.”  _ I’m relieved they’re okay. _ “I hope nothing goes wrong,” I say as I sit down in my usual spot next to Shiemi. Who I now notice is quiet and nervous. “What’s up?” I ask her. But I have a hunch. “You’re not still scared of me, are you? You know I’d never hurt you, right? Look, I’m truly sorry for that night in the forest, and—”

“That’s not it!”  _ Crap. She sounds mad at me.  _ “Listen, Rin, I don’t care what or who you are, and I don’t want you to apologize for it because I know you didn’t have a choice. I just wish—”

“Rin!” I didn’t even notice that my brother had entered the room. 

“Yukio?”

He grabs my shoulder and hauls me up out of my seat. “From now on, you’ll be attending a different curriculum, so please come with me.”  _ Oh, great, he’s using his ‘teacher’ voice. _ He leaves the others with another teacher, Mr. Yunokawa, and apologizes for interrupting everyone as he leads me from the room.    
  


“They won’t let you act on your own anymore, sister,” my brother informs me as he leads me through the halls and stairways of the cram school. “You mustn’t go out without our permission.” 

“That’s why I wanted to talk to them properly,” I grumble. “And what was with Shiemi? What am I going to do?” For her, of all people, to be angry at me, I’m screwed.

“...It was the first time I’ve seen Shiemi get angry at someone who wasn’t in her family,” mutters Yukio quietly, probably to himself. But, sensitive or not, my ears pick it up. 

“Huh?”

“Nothing,” he tells me, and holds a folded piece of paper over his shoulder, so I, behind him, can take it. “This is your new curriculum.”

“Thanks.” I take the paper just as we reach a door.

“We’re here. Go in.” When I do, and survey the room, there are only two words I can use to describe it. The first is ‘huge’. The second is ‘gym.’ If a gym could be as fancy as this.  _ This place is amazing! Look at all this equipment! _ “We’ve reserved the training room for you,” says Yukio. “Shura will be arriving soon, so just wait patiently for her to arrive.”

_ Seriously, little bro? Have you met me? _ “Come on, you already know it’s not possible for me to ‘wait patiently’ for anything. I’m gonna try out some of this equipment.” I need to keep my body moving. I absolutely hate sitting still.

“Is that really the best thing to do while you’re wearing a skirt?!”  _ Always such a worry wart, aren’t you, brother? _

“Seriously, dude, I’m wearing shorts under it. If you still don’t like it, fine. Then switch with me. You’re not doing anything, so give me your pants and I’ll give you my skirt.”

His angry sputtering tells me that’s not happening, but I was kidding anyway. It’s so easy to get a reaction out of him, that I can’t help it. He looks away, blushing, as I get started.

By the time Shura gets here, I’m warmed up and ready for a real workout.  _ But why is she barely dressed, only in pajamas? And what’s in the bag she’s got with her? _

“So energetic,” she snickers when she sees me on the machines, “just like a monkey! You even look like one too, with your tail out in the open like that!” Shura laughs. 

“Watch it with that monkey business!” I snap.  _ Why must that kind of crap be the first thing she says? _ “And for your information, I feel restricted when I hide my tail. I’m more comfortable like this.” I swish my tail around for emphasis. “Anyway, what are we going to be doing for my class?”

“First, we’re going to get you practicing with your flames. What I’ve got here,” she points at the bag, “are a ton of candles.”

“Candles?”

“Yep. We’re going to set up three, and you’re going to try to light the two on the ends simultaneously. Even if you don’t unsheathe your sword, you can still use your flames, right?”

“Right,” I confirm. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”

Three candles are placed in a line on the floor, and I sit down in front of them. I notice that Yukio has stayed to watch, but my focus is now on these three candles. With every fiber of my being, I concentrate. Then I try to light the candles. This does not go as I hoped it would. An entire column of blue flame engulfs me and the candles together.  _ No! Too much! Too much! Back off some! Actually, back off a lot! Stop, stop! _ I mentally scream at myself. My flames go out. 

“I told you to light the two on the ends, not melt them all,” says Shura. 

“Again!”

I try again with a fresh set of candles, but fail again. And again. And again. Over and over, I fail to light the correct candles at the same time. I’m beginning to get very frustrated. Finally, I just come right out and say it. “Aren’t we going to train with my sword?! We’re running out of time!” I’ve only got six months, and I’m literally getting nowhere with this. 

Shura regards me with a scrutinizing look. “Do you understand why you’re controlled by those flames when you draw your sword?”

What kind of question is that? “I don’t know…”

“It’s because you’re afraid. So you succumb to the flames. You’ve got to get used to the flames, then increase your confidence slowly from there. And from there you draw Kurikara.”

_ I see… _ She’s absolutely right. She’s freaking amazing. “Understood.”

I keep practicing until I’m distracted by Yukio’s phone ringing. “Yes, this is Okumura,” he answers. 

A few minutes later, he hangs up. “I just got an urgent call,” he tells Shura. “It seems a corner of an old dormitory has been polluted by coal tars. It appears some of the victims are civilians. One person has been severely affected by a mashou, and around ten others have been polluted.”

“Hm? What’s the cause?”

“It’s unknown.”

“For the time being, anyone with the rank of meister in doctor is gathering. Shura, aren’t you one as well?”

“Yeah… in a way… Anyway, the mission is nothing much, but while we’re her chaperones,” she points at me, “she can’t leave our sides. So let’s bring her, too.” 

_ What am I, a dog?  _ I think bitterly as I leave with them. But I hold my tongue. That would just open a whole new can of worms. 

“What’s ahead is very dangerous!” the exorcist just behind the caution tape shouts at the crowd. “Stand back, everyone!”

_ There really are a lot of spectators here. I don’t get why there are so many. Why would ordinary humans think there might be something to see here? _ I’m broken out of my thoughts by Shura. “It’s bloody hot…” she complains. “Let’s go back home already…”  _ Um, excuse you? You’re in a bikini top and short shorts. Whereas some of us are actually wearing full-length shirts and pants (like Yukio) _ . I make my mental rant to her short and sweet. 

Yukio steps up to the caution tape. “Good work,” he calls to the exorcist, showing his badge as proof of his identity. 

“Oh,” says the exorcist, “thanks for coming, Mr. Okumura.” 

We’re all let into the taped off area and catch the attention of a middle-aged male exorcist. He gives us a questioning look, and Yukio introduces himself. “Sorry I took so long. I’m a middle first class, Yukio Okumura.” He holds up his badge. 

“Yeah,” Shura adds, also holding up her qualifications, “I’m upper first class Kirigakure.”

“I’m…” he begins to introduce himself, then notices me. “Who’s the girl?”

“Rin Okumura, esquire,” I tell him simply. 

His eyes widen in terror.  _ Apparently he recognizes my name. _ “You!” he cries fearfully. “Is she safe?” he asks Shura.  _ Well excuse you, you weakling of a human. I can’t help being born a demon. Blame Satan for that.  _

“Well, while your concern is understandable, this was decided by the higher-ups,” Shura tells him. “We’re gonna be keeping her in check, so trust us, yeah?”

“We’d like an explanation,” requests Yukio, changing the subject. “Who is currently in charge here?”

“I am the one in charge,” the middle-aged exorcist informs my brother. “I’ll explain the current state of affairs. I am Saburota Todou, director of the deep keep. I’m an upper second class exorcist.” He explains that what started this whole incident was the theft of something he calls the “left eye of the Impure King.” The masked thief escaped with a small child into a nearby building that is currently being besieged. There are a total of 31 people, including civilians, infected by miasma, and there aren’t enough doctors to cure them all. Todou theorizes that, since the child taken was exposed to a highly concentrated miasma, he was most likely killed instantly already. As Todou talks, he becomes more and more hysterical. I realize how terrified he must be, but he needs to calm down and be professional about this. He’s an exorcist, this is his  _ job _ . Part of me wonders how I can be more rational about this than he is. 

“Please calm down,” Yukio interrupts. “Let’s just do what we can, okay?”

“About this masked guy you mentioned,” says Shura curiously, “is he strong?”

“Ah, well… we don’t know that yet. He hasn’t attacked back yet, he’s only run away. It could be either human or demon…”

“Hmm…” Shura hums, pondering his words. 

“At any rate,” says Yukio, “we need to hurry. First off, Kirigakure and I will—”

“Excuse me…” a voice interrupts, and we look over to see a woman joining our group. “What’s happening to my son?” She coughs. “Please… help him!”

“Are you the mother of the kidnapped kid?” I ask. She nods. “No need to worry now that we’re here! I swear, we’ll do everything we can to save your son, no matter what!” I promise. 

Maybe it’s because I’m a woman that I can kinda understand. If I had a child of my own who was taken, I’d want reassurance that the authorities were taking every measure to ensure my child’s safety.  _ Wait, why am I thinking about having kids at a time like this? I have never thought about wanting kids, and even if I did, as far as I’m concerned, I won’t become a mother for a long time, if ever. Would the Vatican even allow me to reproduce? Would Satan’s grandchildren ever have a place in this world? No, they probably wouldn’t. Even  _ I  _ don’t really have a place here.  _ And for the first time, I begin to think that I probably shouldn’t have been born in the first place. 

All this flashes in my head in an instant, right before I’m pushed aside by Yukio, who, rather insensitively, tells the mother that we won’t be able to guarantee the safety of her son, in which case she had better prepare for the worst. I gape at him. Even for the new, cold, emotionless work-mode Yukio, this is an all-time low. Back when we were kids, the old version of him at least had tact. What he told the mother might be true, but he should at least give her a little hope! Suddenly it becomes clear to me that that might be  _ my _ job from now on, and the irony is not lost on me.  _ The demon, reassuring the humans. What a joke. If only Mephisto were here to see this, it’d be the icing on the cake.  _

Yukio orders me to stay behind with Shura, then prepares to go into the miasma-filled building by putting on a protective full-body plastic suit. And picking up a birdcage with a canary in it. Todou and a couple other exorcists accompany him. 

_ Ha! As if I’d sit by and do nothing. _ I somehow get rid of Shura, which is surprisingly easy, and I follow the exorcists without putting on a protective body suit. I know I’ll be fine; miasma won’t affect a demon such as myself. 

I use my sharp ears to find them. Luckily for me, they won’t shut up. They’re talking about the history of the eyes of the Impure King. Apparently, about 140 years ago, a demon spread around a plague that killed over 40,000 humans. The eyes were taken out after the demon was subdued, but they still omitted miasma, so they were sealed away. What we have here is the left eye, but the right eye is sealed away somewhere secret. By now, I’ve caught up with them, just before I hear that only Mephisto and those involved know where the right eye is. 

“Hmm, I see,” I say casually, as if I’d been here and a part of the conversation the whole time. “So what does the bird do?”

“It’s a replica canary. It’s constantly singing. It’ll stop singing once it senses miasma.”

“Hmm.”  _ So it’s like a canary in a coal mine. _

Suddenly they realize who they’re talking to. 

“Sister!” Yukio shouts, shocked.  _ Good grief, he’s going to give himself a heart attack one of these days if he keeps reacting like this to every little thing.  _ “What are you doing here?! Where’s Shura?!”

“I ditched her,” I smirk. My brother facepalms through his mask. “Come on, brother, it’s all good! I’ve just got to stick with either you or Shura, remember? And I promised that boy’s mother I would save him! I can’t just sit quietly and do nothing!” 

In the silence that follows my words, I realize it’s just that: silence. The bird isn’t singing anymore. In fact, it’s completely silent. I look up ahead and that’s when I spot him, the hooded, cloaked, and masked figure standing in front of a tiny, unconscious boy, who appears to have boils over a few parts of his body. 

“The kid’s still alive,” Yukio says into an earpiece he’s wearing. “But he’s in critical condition. We have to hurry!” The figure in front of us starts moving around. “Stop right there!” Yukio points his gun at him. “Take one more step and I’ll shoot!” 

But then something happens that no one expects: the figure disappears into thin air, in a swirl of blackness. An object he was holding, a scepter containing what must be the left eye, falls to the ground and shatters. 

“He’s gone?!” I shout, and run towards the child. 

Meanwhile, Yukio picks up the eye, and gasps. “It’s fake?” Suddenly he’s attacked from behind, and is shoved to the ground a few meters away from his original position. 

“Brother!” I scream. 

“Todou…” Yukio says, regaining his feet and addressing his attacker, the only person here besides us. 

“Mmmm,” hums Todou, “what a pity. I’ve been exposed.” Unexpectedly, he literally rips the protective suit off his body, revealing a demonic form. He has some sort of shadow creature with him as well, something I wouldn’t bet on being benevolent. 

Yukio gasps. “Sister!” he shouts at me, without turning around. “There’s no time to lose! Hurry up and get that kid outside!”

“Got it!” I scoop up the tiny boy in my arms and hold him vertically to my chest, with one arm under his thighs and the other behind his back, like he’s a baby, as I run. But I don’t manage to get far. 

“Uh oh,” says Todou, “can’t let you do that.” He sends his shadow creature after me. 

I can’t let anything happen to this child. “Don’t you dare!” My body curves in protectively around the little boy as I burst into blue flame to ward off the shadow creature. Fortunately, it helps keep the creature at bay. Unfortunately, it has a negative effect on the boy in my arms. His boils get bigger and more numerous. I yelp in surprise and actually drop him. Fortunately, he doesn’t have too far to fall. 

“Rin!” Yukio is distracted for a moment. 

“Your opponent is me!” Todou shouts, and attacks. This time, he gets my brother pinned to the ground. 

I’d pay attention to my brother’s fight, but my focus is elsewhere. “No,” I whisper as I sit down next to the boy. I pull him into my lap and hug him to my chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, sweetie,” I apologize, even though he probably can’t hear me. 

A few moments later, I hear a tiny alarm beeping. “Oh, looks like that’s my cue,” I hear. I look up to see Todou standing up and checking his watch. “It’s time for me to leave.” Then he literally melts into the shadows. 

Yukio stares after him as if dazed for a moment, then makes his way over to where I am with the child. “Sister!” He has seen the results of my flames. 

“Brother… what are we going to do about him?” I look at him with tears in my eyes. “I burnt the boils using my flames… but they regenerated… and then they started to multiply! I’m so sorry!”

“We don’t have any more time!” He quickly removes the top part of his protective suit. “We’ll have to deal with it here!” Yukio is in doctor-mode right now. 

“Yukio!” I’m shocked he’d throw caution to the wind like that, in regards to his own health. “Will you be okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Just hold him like that, but don’t interfere, and do  _ not  _ use your flames,” he orders, and I don’t dare disobey. He’s trembling as he injects the vaccine into each individual boil. He finally recognizes that he is ill too, injects a needle of vaccine into his own arm, and continues treating the child. It goes a lot smoother now. 

When he’s done, I carry the boy out to his mother. Crying in relief, she thanks us. I can’t help but feel happy that we saved the little boy and got him back to his mother.

_ Is this what real accomplishment feels like? To actually have done something right, when it’s all said and done? Because it actually feels pretty good.  _ I’ve got a feeling in my heart that I can’t describe. Self fulfillment? Contentment? A longing to do this sort of thing again? But whatever it is, I like it. It’s kind of satisfying to know that I, a demon, am the product of something so evil, and yet I’m able to do so much good for the humans that I believed I was part of as a species for so long. 

But there’s one more feeling I have, one that I can’t describe so easily. I think that it’s connected to that little boy. How I felt when I held him, that protectiveness, that longing in my heart. Suddenly it all clicks.  _ I want to know what it’s like to have a child of my own,  _ I realize.  _ That feeling I had… I think it was maternal. But something like that will never happen for me. There isn’t a sane man alive who would want the daughter of Satan, and even if there were, the Vatican would never allow me to bring the grandchild of Satan into this world.  _ So, as soon as I realize what I felt, I banish this newfound desire of mine, as well as whatever feelings I may or may not have for a certain rooster-headed guy who confessed his love and kissed me. I cannot allow myself to want children. I cannot allow myself to love anyone, or be loved by anyone. It would only be painful for everyone involved. 

And that’s when Yukio’s phone rings. He answers, and after listening for a moment, his eyes widen in shock. Then he looks at me frantically. “Rin!”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin practices with her flames, boards a train for Kyoto, finds out she has one ally amongst her classmates, and relives a memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I haven’t really had time to post this chapter until now because of school, work, and editing (it wasn’t exactly how I liked it), so here it is! Enjoy, and please keep leaving kudos and comments (they really help motivate me to keep posting)!

Rin POV

I scream. Not out of terror or pain, but out of complete frustration for what I’m doing. Or, rather, for what I’m failing at _repeatedly_. On the rooftop of my dorm building, littered around me are dozens of little candles, almost all of them completely melted by my flames. Yet again, the three candles in front of me are utterly spent. “It’s no good…” I groan in exasperation. “I just can’t get the hang of it!”

“ _Waa! It’s so blue and pretty!_ ” Kuro exclaims cheerfully from my lap. Well, at least _someone_ is optimistic. I scratch his head in the way he likes. Kuro purrs contentedly. 

“But you know,” says a voice, “I’m not seeing any progress at all.” Suddenly, from the ladder, up pops a familiar face. 

“You found me, huh?” I ask a little sheepishly as she hauls herself onto the roof with me. “And here I was, thinking I could do some intensive training in secret.”

“Nah,” says Shura, smirking, “I knew you were coming up here every morning to do this all along.”

“Seriously?!” _Is this what having a babysitter entails?!_

“Of course!” A small paper booklet suddenly hits me in the face, and falls into my hands. 

“Ow!” I complain. Then I glance at it. “What’s this?” It looks like a tourist guidebook. 

“You’re going to be heading to Kyoto, so you better be prepared.”

“ _Where? Where is she going? I’m coming too!_ ” Kuro insists. He’s trying to talk to Shura, but it seems he forgot that only I can hear him. 

“She can’t hear you, buddy,” I remind Kuro, a smile tugging at my lips. When Shura looks at me in confusion, I translate. “He said he’s coming with us.”

Shura snickers. “Fine by me,” she agrees. “He _is_ your familiar, right?”

I grin. “Yeah. Hear that, Kuro? You’re coming with us to Kyoto!”

“ _Yay! Thank you, Rin!_ ” Kuro leaps into my arms happily and nuzzles his head into my neck as I chuckle at how childlike he is. _Well, I guess Kuro is technically my baby now,_ I think in amusement. _He certainly acts like it._

Shura gets me on the train and sits me in one of the car’s frontmost rows. Then she tells me to behave while she checks on things in the other car that the exorcists have reserved. 

It’s easy enough for me to behave. I have Kuro here, who has crawled off my shoulders and is curled up on the middle chair beside my window seat, trying to take a nap. I also have my guidebook, so I can check out all the cool places in Kyoto to visit. Speaking of which, I notice one in particular. _Kyoto Tower? That looks fun!_

I’m so immersed in my book that I don’t even notice that Shiemi is here until Shura comes back and greets her with a “Good morning!”

I look up, see her, and smile as non-threateningly as possible. “Hi, Shiemi!” I greet her cheerfully, hoping she doesn’t hate me for being a demon. As I grin, though, I’m hyper aware of my fangs showing. _And she, as well as everyone else, knows why I have them,_ I think miserably, and, self-consciously, I close my lips. 

“G-good morning,” she stammers. Immediately, what little remains of my hope crumbles. _She’s scared of me. I know she said she wasn’t afraid earlier, but she’s definitely scared of me. Is she even my friend anymore, after she found out what I am? Will she ever forgive me from keeping it from her? Or will she never become close to me again because she’s scared of what I can do?_ I don’t blame her, though. I saw those pictures of myself when I lost control. And, honestly, even _I_ was a little scared of myself. _What if I lose control again? What if I turn into a beast and no one’s able to stop me?_

Then Suguro, Shima, and Konekomaru arrive. As they enter the train car, Shima’s complaining about how he hates injections, since they were doing vaccinations in the other car, but all three of them fall silent when they see me. As they walk past to sit in the row behind me, Suguro looks at me, with the same sorrow he had that night, like he wants to say something, but then decides against it and keeps his mouth shut. As they sit down in the row behind me, Shima and Konekomaru talk about whether or not I’m going to go berserk again and that they should just treat me like some untouchable idol statue so I stay under control. 

_I’m totally being treated like some beast,_ I think miserably. _Well, I guess that’s to be expected. This is a totally natural reaction._ Who wouldn’t be angry to find out that their classmate is the daughter of Satan? Who wouldn’t hate the girl who turned out to be a half demon? Who wouldn’t hate the girl who turned out to be the daughter of Satan? Who wouldn’t hate the girl who lied to them about her true identity? I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts that I flinch in surprise when I hear someone plopping down on the other side of Kuro.

“What?” Kamiki asks expectantly. 

I find that I’m staring at her. “Er… nothing…” I look away. _Why is she sitting next to_ me _, of all people? Isn’t she afraid of Satan’s daughter like everyone else is?_

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

Shima, Konekomaru, and I board the train car after getting a vaccination, but then we see something even more unbelievable than the fact that we’re going back to our hometown of Kyoto. Shima’s in the middle of complaining about how he hates injections, but all three of us fall silent when we see her. It’s Rin. She has her tail out in the open, since she doesn’t have to hide it anymore, and I can’t help but feel both happy and sad for her at the same time. On one hand, having her tail out seems more natural for her somehow. On the other hand, the way the rest of us learned about it was rather awful for her. I notice that Moriyama and Ms. Kirigakure are here too, and all three of them are looking uncomfortable. Although, Rin looks more sad than anything. _Did Moriyama say something?_ I wonder. 

As we walk past to sit in the row behind her, I make eye contact with Rin, and I can’t help but look at her sorrowfully, wanting to say something, to apologize, to tell her that I still love her, that I never stopped loving her and that I never will no matter what her parentage is, but then I decide against it. I don’t even know how to begin, and I don’t really want to say it in front of everyone. Not now, at least. Rin looks… broken, in a way, and she wouldn’t ever forgive me if I humiliated her like that after having something as embarrassing as her demonic heritage revealed so suddenly in front of everyone. I mean, I can’t imagine she _wants_ to be the daughter of Satan. As we sit down, Shima and Konekomaru talk about whether or not she will go berserk again and that they should just treat her like some untouchable idol statue. 

I want to tell them to shut up, that they’re wrong, that she’s still Rin Okumura no matter what she is, even if what she is _is_ a half demon. I can’t really see her face, but the way she’s holding herself makes her look like she feels miserable. That’s why, I suppose, she jumps in surprise when someone sits down next to her, one seat in between them. The middle seat, as I saw when I passed Rin, is occupied by a napping, two-tailed cat sith. I’m guessing he’s Rin’s familiar. 

Rin stares at her new companion. 

“What?” Kamiki asks Rin expectantly. 

“Er… nothing…” Rin looks away nervously. 

  
  


Rin POV:

“Alright, attention please,” announces Shura from the front of the train car. “I’ve been forced against my will to be the captain of the reinforcement squad this time around. I’m Shura Kirigakure! Let’s work together on this! Yeah, so, first things first. Satou from the intelligence division, I’ll leave explaining the current situation to you.”

“Eh… Ah, okay,” stammers Satou, rising from his seat and going to the front of the car. “On the 22nd of July, at approximately 1:20 PM, the Left Eye of the Impure King, which had been deemed a part of an extremely dangerous demon and sealed in the deep keep of the Order’s base, was stolen by someone. It was discovered that the former director of the deep keep, upper second class exorcist Saburota Todou, had a hand in the matter, but we do not have any leads as to what his intentions were or and who his accomplices were, and we are still investigating.”

“That’s right,” adds Shura. “And at the exact same time, the inner recesses of the Kyoto Branch Office far out in the west also came under attack by someone. This time, the crime was thwarted, but what they were aiming for was the Right Eye of the Impure King!”

“Excuse me,” Kamiki interrupts. “What is this ‘Right Eye’ and ‘Left Eye’ of the Impure King? We never learnt this!”

“Right, this demon isn’t considered a major one,” continues Shura. “Yet the stories we hear of it aren’t exactly nice ones. So, about this Impure King… demon history lecturer Mr. Adachi, if you would,” she says, inviting said lecturer to explain. 

The man comes up to the front, though rather reluctantly and on the spot. “In the last years of Edo,” Mr. Adachi begins, “around the fifth year of the Ansei era, the Impure King was an upper class demon, considered to have caused the spread of fevers and epidemics, and believed to be the root cause of over 40,000 deaths. The Right Eye and Left Eye were said to have been removed and taken by a monk named Fukaku when he suppressed the Impure King, as evidence that he had done so. Although they are just eyes, they give off strong miasma. They are extremely dangerous articles.” _Fukaku only took the eyes as evidence that he had suppressed the Impure King? Why?_

“In any case,” continues Shura, taking over, “the enemy’s intentions remain a mystery. But one thing’s for sure: they’re trying to do something evil with the Left Eye and Right Eye. There is a possibility that the Kyoto Branch Office, which protects the Right Eye, might get attacked again. We have to prevent the same failure we had with the Left Eye from happening again. In other words, our mission this time is the nursing of injured exorcists at the Kyoto Branch Office and reinforcing their now-weakened security. Esquires will be helping out with these. So, let’s work hard together, everyone!”

The train rumbles on toward Kyoto. Shura sleeps in a seat nearby, and the whole car is nearly silent. 

Finally, I work up the nerve to talk to my neighbor. “So… you… aren’t afraid of me?” I ask her tentatively. 

“Hah, you?” Kamiki laughs bitterly. “Of course I’m not scared of you. You may not know this, but there are tons of people in this world who are related to demons by blood. Better still, many of them are exorcists.”

I’m surprised to hear that. “Really?” _There are other people like me?_

“It’s common knowledge,” she scoffs as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“But then… I…”

“The only problem with you is that you’re the daughter of Satan” she informs me. “The Order itself hasn’t killed you yet because it doesn’t know if letting the daughter of Satan become a part of the Order will be a boon or a bane. That’s all there is to it. So there’s really no need to idiotically make a mountain out of a molehill.”

I’m absolutely awestruck that she would say something like this. “Polka-brow…” I whisper in amazement. 

“Polka-brow?!” Kamiki puts a hand over her round little eyebrows. 

“You’re actually on my side in all this… I knew you were a nice girl!” And, despite everyone else avoiding me like the plague, I grin at her. 

“Wait a sec!” Kamiki screeches. Somehow, she doesn’t wake Shura. She’s blushing furiously. “How did you reach that conclusion?! You’re wrong! More importantly, what’s up with this ‘polka-brow’ nickname?! My name is Izumo Kamiki!”

But I can’t help but smile kindly. “Thank you, Izumo,” I tell her sincerely. 

“D-don’t address me so friendly!” Izumo snaps. “I… I just… really hate cowards who say things like ‘I’ll defeat Satan’ or that we’re ‘friends’ when all they know is to run away at the most crucial of times, after spouting some pretty words!” She’s obviously talking about Shiemi and Suguro. 

But, it seems that someone has an issue with what Izumo has been saying. “You’ve got guts to be prattling on and on just because we kept quiet!” Suguro yells, standing up from his seat behind us. “ _Who_ did you say was a coward?!”

 _This won’t end well._ “Hmm?” Izumo hums smugly. She knows she’s right. “What would _you_ call yourselves, then?”

_That didn’t end well._ Izumo and Suguro’s fighting woke up Shura, and we all received the baryon punishment. It’s no exaggeration to say that she’s _pissed_ that we woke her up. But I think we’ve all learned our lesson this time around, because no one says a word for the rest of the trip. I take the opportunity to think about what happened a few days ago. _Dad…_

_Yukio’s phone rang. He answered, and after a moment, his eyes widened. Then he looked at me frantically. “Rin!”_

_“What?!”_

_He told me what happened, and half an hour later Yukio, Shura, and I were being shouted at by nurses to not run in the hospital hallways._

_The three of us burst somewhat unceremoniously into the hospital room, all shouting at once._

_“Dad!” Yukio and I yelled in unison._

_“Shiro!” Shura exclaimed._

_Dad looked up from the book he was reading. I was so relieved. He was actually awake. “Rin! Yukio! Shura! What are you kids doing here?” he asked._

_“How could you say that?!” Shura demanded. “After everything that happened, you expect us not to visit?”_

_Dad’s gaze zeroed in on me. “Rin… I see you’ve awakened properly. You drew the Koma sword.” Of course he would have been able to tell. My tail was out in the open, so it wasn’t exactly inconspicuous._

_“If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. Alive, I mean,” I pointed out. “It was the only way to close the Gehenna Gate.”_

_“Huh… I guess I remember the gate opening,” he said. “I suppose it’s not surprising that you’d be able to close the gate that Satan created. Rin… I’m proud of you. I suppose I owe you for saving my life. But what you did was reckless. You have regained your demon form, and for that, I can no longer raise you.”_

_I stared at him for several seconds before bursting into laughter. “Stupid old man…” I chuckled. “You don’t owe me anything. You saved my life too, remember? And if you’re worried about raising me, don’t. I’m enrolled at True Cross Academy, and I’m going to become an exorcist. I’m going to live in the dorms until I graduate, so you don’t have to worry about taking care of me like you did before. Although, to me, you’ll always be my dad.” I smirked, and approached his hospital bed to hug him._

_My dad’s arms hardly hesitated a moment before hugging me back. “I love you, Rin,” he muttered in my ear._

_“I love you too, Dad,” I whispered back. But then I pulled back and scowled at him. “But don’t_ ever _try to sacrifice your life for mine again, do you understand me? I don’t care if you’re my dad and the paladin, if you pull a stunt like that again, I’m handcuffing you to your bed, throwing away the key, and only letting Yukio or one of the priests look after you.”_

_His face immediately went ashen. “You won’t let me have a hot nurse?!”_

_Before I could answer, Yukio spoke up. “I’m about as hot a nurse as you’re ever going to get, Dad,” he informed him._

_For the next several minutes, Shura and I both had a hard time getting off the floor or breathing. We were laughing too hard._

_After that, the four of us talked about what had been going on for the past three months. Shura told him that she was teaching me how to control my flames. Dad asked for a demonstration, but I quickly declined, telling him that I didn’t have the technique down yet. Yukio said how he’d become a cram school teacher, and Dad told him not to overwork himself, and he would take over his old position again (which Yukio was working) once he was better. And I told Dad about all the friends I’d made… before everyone knew about my heritage. At least Kuro didn’t hate me, like they did. Dad assured me that they’d come around, because it’s not like I had changed since I met them. I asked him if he would resume his position as paladin when he was released from the hospital, and he said he would._

_I left the hospital room that day with two kernels of hope in my mind: first, that my friends would gradually come to accept who I am, and second, that the acting paladin, Arthur August Angel, would be forced to step down for his predecessor once more._

I want my friends to accept me. And to do that, I have to figure out how to control my flames and persuade them to trust me again. _But how?_ I wonder. _Every time I try to light the candles, they all burst into flame and melt! It’s never just the wick, either, but the whole thing!_ Then it hits me. _I just have to light the wick. Just that one little part. If I just use a tiny bit of flame, I can do it._

I’ll have to wait until we get to Kyoto to ask Shura for more candles. If I can get a few minutes to myself, I can practice what I just realized. _That’s all I needed to do. I only needed to calm down and think about it rationally. I feel like such a bull-headed fool…_

But at least I have a game plan in mind. _I_ will _be able to control my flames,_ I think resolutely.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquires reach Kyoto, Ryuuji is less than pleased with their lodgings, and Rin meets Ryuuji’s parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but I hope you like it!

Rin POV

We arrive in Kyoto, and, with Kuro on my head, I can’t help but stare. This place is really actually very beautiful, in its own urban way. 

“ _ Ah! That’s the tower you were talking about! Right, Rin? _ ” Kuro asks excitedly in my head. 

“Yeah…” It’s Kyoto Tower. If we weren’t on a mission, I’d ditch everyone and go there right now. But I’d probably get scolded by Shura, then probably Yukio if he found out, then probably my dad. 

“Ah! Are you the party from the Japan Branch?” a voice asks. I tear my gaze from the tower to see a young man, probably in his late teens or early twenties. He’s holding up a sign with the words ‘Japan Branch’ on it. “I’ve been waiting for you! I’m the errand boy of the Kyoto Branch Office. My name is Doi.”

“Japan Branch reinforcement squad captain, Shura Kirigakure,” Shura introduces herself somewhat formally. 

“Thank you for coming,” Doi greets us, bowing respectfully. “I have arranged a bus for you. For the time being, I would like to bring you to where you will be staying for you to put away your luggage and settle down.”

“Got it. Please take care of us.”

One bus ride later, and we have arrived at an inn. For some reason though, when he sees where we are, Suguro doesn’t look happy to be here. But the instant we get inside, I think I understand exactly why he would rather be anywhere but here. 

“Bon!”

“It’s Bon!”

“Bon?! You’ve returned, huh?”

“Welcome home!”

“And Konekomaru and Renzo too!”

“Wow! This sure is worth celebrating! Call Okami out here! Okami!”

“Don’t!” Suguro shouts angrily. “This is no homecoming! I just happened to be assigned to come here because of my work as an esquire, and… Listen to me! Hey!” No one seems to care what he has to say, or why he’s here.  _ But what exactly  _ is _ here to him? _

“Ryuuji!” A beautiful woman emerges from the depths of the inn, and approaches Suguro with a shocked expression on her face. “You…” Then her expression turns angry. “You actually went and dyed your hair, huh?! You wanna turn into a chicken or something next?!” She looks scary, yelling at him like that. “You sure have guts, stepping into this inn again! Didn’t you say you were going to study?! Huh?!”

“Like I said, I just happened to be assigned to come here to help as an esquire!” Suguro yells. “And what did you mean, talking about chickens?! This hairstyle shows my determination! Determination, you know!”

“ _ What _ determination?!” the beautiful woman demands. I secretly agree with her. What part of looking like a rooster shows any kind of determination?

Beside me, Shima snickers. “I just knew he’d get it for that hair of his!”

“Shima, you shouldn’t say things like that when your hair isn’t natural either,” I point out. His pink hair is clearly dyed. I’ve seen his black roots quite a few times. 

“Okami!” Konekomaru steps up, a lot braver than I thought he could be, considering how angry and scary the woman is. “It’s been awhile!” he says cheerfully, trying to coax a friendly demeanor out of her. 

“Hey there, Okami,” Shima greets her. “Long time no see.”

“Neko! And Renzo!” Immediately, Okami is very welcoming. “You’ve finally come home. It’s good to see that you’re both well. It must have been tiring protecting Ryuuji!”

“Don’t make it sound like they were protecting me!” Suguro fumes. 

Okami finally notices the rest of us. “Oh dear! How terrible of me! The rest of you over there must be Ryuuji’s friends from cram school!”  _ Well, I wouldn’t say we’re all friends, but I suppose I’ll let her make that assumption.  _ “Pleased to meet you. I’m Ryuuji’s mother.” She smiles sweetly at us, nothing like how she was talking to Suguro just now.

“Stop it!” Suguro growls at his mother, blushing in embarrassment and anger. 

_ Wait.  _ “Mother?! You’re Suguro’s mother?!” I exclaim, staring at her.  _ She’s way too pretty to be the mother of that rooster! Not that Suguro’s bad-looking, he’s actually pretty hot, but this woman is absolutely freaking  _ gorgeous _. Besides, she doesn’t look old enough to be his mom.  _

“Yep!” Shima confirms. “This inn is Bon’s family home!”

“So this is where Suguro grew up, huh? Otherwise, his home would have been the temple that got destroyed, right?” I ask his mother. 

“That’s right,” she says, smiling warmly at me, “our temple couldn’t hold out. But I took over this inn, which was my own family home. In the first place, the temple neither earned much from the tourists nor had many patrons, so a side-business was essential.”

“I see…”

“Okami,” Shura interrupts. “Thank you in advance for taking care of us for such a long time.”

“No, no, we are grateful for the continued patronage of the True Cross Order,” Okami assures her. 

“I’ve already exchanged greetings with the chief, so I’ll be heading straight out to help out at the Branch Office,” says Shura. “I’ll leave half of the doctors here, so please have them take a look at those with mashou.”

“Thank you very much,” says Okami. “And, umm…” She looks like she wants to discuss something with Shura, without the rest of us present. 

“Ah!” Shura apparently understands. “Suguro, Miwa, Shima! This is the first time you’ve been home in a long time. Go make your rounds and say hi to your relatives, alright?” She’s clearly trying to get rid of us. “Moriyama, Kamiki, Takara, Okumura, you will follow Mr. Yunokawa and assist him as he treats his patients. I know we’ve just arrived, but work hard!”

“Got it!” we answer in sync. 

“Rin! Don’t cause any trouble! I believe in you!” Shura grins, winking at me confidently. 

“Just like that?!” She would put her trust in me so easily?! She knows I can’t control my flames yet! Why is she letting me out of her sight so soon? Isn’t she supposed to be my babysitter?

“This is a form of training, too,” she informs me. 

“You sure?!” I know she has duties to attend to as well, but wasn’t the agreement to have me be with either Yukio or Shura at all times? And last I checked, Yukio isn’t here with us, so that makes Shura the one who has to deal with me. But maybe it  _ would  _ be okay to send me off for a bit. It’s not like I’m going to be doing any fighting. I just have to help treat Yunokawa’s patients, along with the other girls and Takara. It should be fine. No problem, right? Piece of cake, if I’m trying not to scare anyone off. And maybe — just  _ maybe _ — this will help these humans understand that being Satan’s spawn doesn’t necessarily make me an evil person.

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

“Where are we going?” I ask my mom as she leads me, Shima, and Konekomaru down the hall. 

“His condition isn’t too great,” Mom explains, “and he is the chief, so I set him up in a separate room from the rest.” She knocks on a door, and opens it. “Yaozo, we’re coming in,” she announces. 

“Okay,” acknowledges Yaozo Shima, pushing himself up onto his elbows from where he’s lying in bed. There’s a look of surprise when he sees who his visitors are. “Bon!” Yaozo breaks into a fit of coughing. 

“Dad!” Shima exclaims frantically, scrambling to Yaozo’s side. 

“Yaozo, you shouldn’t sit up,” my mom chides. 

“What are you talking about? This is nothing,” insists Yaozo. “I’ll be all better in another two weeks. For the chief himself to be in such a state… infinite rest until I return to the office myself as soon as I can.”

_ Isn’t that a bit contradictory?  _ “Is everyone hurt that badly?” I ask. 

“It’s alright,” my mom reassures me. “Everyone will recover with the right treatment, and not a single person died, either, even though things look bad right now!”

“I see,” I sigh in relief. 

“More importantly, Bon,” says Yaozo, “I’m happy to see that you’re well.”

“Yeah. It’s thanks to everyone.”  _ Especially Rin. If she hadn’t pulled out her sword and distracted Amaimon, I would probably be dead now. She sacrificed her secret to save me. That’s the second time she’s saved my life. First with the leapers, then with Amaimon… I owe her big for both of those times. Although, I guess they were both because I was too stupid to not show off in front of her…  _

“Konekomaru, thanks for protecting Bon. It must have been difficult,” says Yaozo gratefully. 

“N- no, no! I didn’t protect him or anything like that!” Koneko stammers, bowing his head over his broken arm respectfully. “All I did was flounder about!”

“Dad! Dad!” Shima whimpers pathetically. “I think I broke a rib…”

But he’s getting no sympathy. Yaozo punches the back of Shima’s head angrily. “All you did was dye your hair pink!” he shouts. 

“The heck?!”

“Where’s Dad?” I ask, to deflect from Shima’s hair color. “I heard he collapsed. What happened to him after that?”

“Oh, yeah!” Shima says. “You mean even the high priest got caught in the miasma too?”

“Tatsuma was…” begins my mom.

“The high priest just happened to come by the branch office for a visit,” continues Yaozo. “And thus got entangled in the incident. He was so shocked he fell over.”

“Hm? That’s it?” Shima asks, sounding a little disappointed. But not nearly as disappointed as I am. 

“He’s healthy again now. Don’t worry,” Yaozo reassures us. 

“Well, it’s good that he’s alright…”

“Where’s Dad right now?” I ask, trembling slightly in anger. 

“Who knows? I know he returns to the temple every day though. He doesn’t even have a mobile phone,” says Mom. 

I grit my teeth. “I’ve got something I absolutely have to say to that stupid baldie!” I growl. 

  
  


Rin POV:

“There are a ton of people here!” Izumo exclaims as we enter the sick ward. 

“There are still another 15 or so people even further in,” says Yunokawa. “These are those with relatively less severe mashou.” There are beds everywhere, and not a single one is unoccupied. “Well, for the time being, you guys can bring the medicinal tea for treating the poison over from the kitchen. When you see that any of the intravenous drips are running out, bring over a pack of antibacterial intravenous solution from that box over there.”

“Okay!” Izumo, Shiemi, and I agree in sync. 

But as I leave to get to work, Yunokawa stops me. “Hold it. Not you, Okumura.”

“Why? Is there something else for me to do?” I ask expectantly. As soon as he stopped me from helping the injured, the implications were all too clear. They don’t want a demon, even a half demon like myself, in charge of vulnerable humans. They don’t trust me at all. 

Yunokawa actually has to think about that one. “Hmm… go collect something,” he finally decides. 

“Such as…?” I prompt, expecting that he’s not prepared for this. 

“Trash, or something?” That sounds like a question. 

_ Trash? Really?  _ I look around, surveying the room. There’s nothing, no trash to pick up. “Kinda hard to collect trash that isn’t here,” I point out bitterly. “Unless, of course, this is your way of telling me to get lost. In that case, just say it. No one wants a demon here among the sick people, do they? I get it. No one trusts me because of what I am. But don’t insult me by lying to my face about it.” I roll my eyes in annoyance. There’s nothing for me to do here, if they won’t let me help with anything. I spin around, letting my tail and hair swing around with the momentum, and leave the room. 

“Okumura…” protests Yunokawa weakly. But I ignore him. My exit is too perfect and dramatic for me to change my mind and go back. 

Once I get out in the hallway, though, and am out of sight, I lean against the wall.  _ Of course no one wants me around. I’m obviously a demon. Everyone can see that by my pointy ears, fangs, and the tail that I don’t bother to hide anymore.  _

Speaking of which… I swing my tail around and hold it gently in my fingers, examining it. “You need a good combing, don’t you?” I murmur. My fur looks kinda tangled at the end. I could probably stand to wash my tail, too. I typically shampoo my fur once a week, but I think I should start doing that more often, since I’m leaving my tail out in the open now and it’s more prone to get dirty. It’s a sign that I’m a demon, and now that that fact is no longer a secret, I don’t see any point in hiding it anymore. But now I’m being treated differently than when most people probably just thought I was just a weird-looking human.  _ Well, technically, I’m still half human. But these full-blooded humans don’t see that. They don’t see who I really am anymore. They just see my demonic half. That’s all they care about.  _

“Hey, you,” someone calls out quietly, and I turn my head towards the voice. “Young lady!”

“Hm?” I drop my tail and look over to where I can see the top of a bald head, peeking into the hallway from a door. 

“Shh. If you’re free, could you lend me a hand over here?”

“Sure, I’m free! I’ll help!”  _ Finally! Something to do! _

“Shh! Keep it down! Be quiet!” the old man warns me frantically. I join him, and he leads me outdoors to the two watermelons that are resting in a tub of water. 

“Watermelons? They look delicious!” I say excitedly. I have  _ work _ ! And with  _ food _ , no less! Now  _ this _ is something I can do! 

“ _ They’re so nicely rounded and fat, _ ” says Kuro hungrily from his spot atop my head. 

“I’m going to visit the sick,” explains the man. “Will you slice them and help me distribute them? Help yourself to some too, once you’ve sliced them.”

“Sure, I’ll slice them,” I agree happily. I can feel a slight breeze behind me. My tail is wagging again, and no wonder. I’m excited because I’m finally doing something I’m good at, no matter how simple it is. I can feel the man’s curious gaze on it as I retrieve a watermelon and begin cutting it into slices. 

“ _ This dude reeks of alcohol, _ ” comments Kuro as I work. I can smell it too. I know the stench all too well. 

“Eh? Already drinking so early in the afternoon, sir?” I ask the man. “Even though you’re a priest…” I couldn’t help but notice his clothes when I first saw him. He’s not the same type of priest as my dad, but those clothes definitely have some sort of high religious significance. He looks about the same age as my dad too, now that I think about it. 

“Ah, you found me out! It’s so hot, I can’t help myself!” The priest chuckles a bit guiltily. 

I chuckle too. “What a fishy priest you are, just like my dad!” I’m positive that when Dad gets out of the hospital, he’s going to go back to being the same as always, as in a pervy drunk. He’s not always like that, he’s actually a good person, but when he’s not on duty, the man has no restraints. I’ve seen him plenty of times to know exactly what he’ll be like when he goes back to the monastery. But I think he’d get along well with this man in front of me. 

“Hahaha!” he laughs. “What an interesting girl you are!” I decide I like this guy, whoever he is. “Hey, people from the True Cross Order have come down from Tokyo to help, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Judging from your uniform, you must be from the exorcist cram school. What’s your name?”

I almost don’t answer him. This is where the trouble will begin for me. But, seeing as how he’ll find out eventually, I might as well tell him who I am. There’s no point hiding it. “I’m Rin Okumura.”

His eyes widen in recognition and understanding. “I see! You are…” He doesn’t have to finish his sentence. He knows I’m the half-demon child of Satan. Honestly, by now, who  _ doesn’t  _ know who I am?

“That reminds me,” I say, “what about you, sir? Who are you?”

“Oh, me? I’m Ryuuji Suguro’s dad.”

“Eh?! Seriously?!”  _ That was  _ not _ what I was expecting! First Suguro’s mother is a beautiful woman, then his father is a goofy little bald priest?! How did those two produce a rebellious son like  _ that _?! _

“I’m serious!” He laughs. “We look alike, don’t we?”

I’ll admit there’s  _ some _ resemblance, now that I look closely, like they have the same nose, but… “Really? Suguro is way cooler than you.”

“I see,” Mr. Suguro says, and for a second, I think I see a small gleam in his eye. “So, you must be on pretty good terms with Ryuuji?”

I don’t know if we could call it being on good terms with each other. “We’re… kinda not on speaking terms right now,” I admit a little awkwardly. He hasn’t said a word to me since that night, since I revealed my true nature. 

“Oh dear! I suppose that makes two of us! Ryuuji and I are in the middle of a spat too!”

“Really?” Why would Suguro be arguing with his dad? “He’s a troublesome one to deal with, isn’t he?”

Mr. Suguro laughs. “Right you are!”

“But… he’s a good guy. So I want to make up with him, if I can,” I admit.  _ Besides, I have a feeling that he doesn’t hate me as much as everyone else does.  _

“Right you are.” He smiles more softly this time. 

“Alright,” I say, once I’m done with the watermelons. “Hey, if I carry all these watermelons myself, I’ll… Eh?!” Mr. Suguro’s just  _ leaving _ ?!

“I’m glad to have met you, Rin!” he bids me farewell cheerfully, turning slightly and waving at me with a huge grin on his face. “Let’s talk again another time!”

“Eh?! Wai… wait!”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin delivers watermelon, Ryuuji stops WWIII, and Renzo has to take care of a drunk half-demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Here’s the next chapter. Thank you for your continued support!

**Chapter 19:**

Rin POV

I reenter the sick ward with three trays of watermelon, one on each hand and one balanced on top of my head (and with Kuro draped over one of my shoulders), to find myself in the middle of World War Three, taking place between two men and three women. All of them are in bed, but they sound lively enough. 

“How about you just sit there and listen, you jerk?!” 

“You persistent… how about you just spit it out?!”

“Ooh, I’m  _ so _ scared. You can’t even speak coherently, so you just use your fists. This is why I can’t stand you bunch of useless twits from the Shima family!” The white-haired young woman, along with the two nearly identical ones next to her, look disgusted at the two men in across from them. 

“Huh?! What did you say?!” the blond guy yells. 

“We’re obviously in this mess because of Yaozo Shima’s leadership ability, or lack thereof. And yet he’s still lying in bed. Yaozo should just resign from his post as chief!”

“Take that back, you Hojo snake woman! Don’t be so disrespectful when talking about my dad!” 

“Kinzo, don’t pick a fight with her…” the black-haired man behind him warns tiredly. 

But Kinzo ignores him. “In the first place,” he continues to rage at the woman, “you’re just pushing the blame for your own failures on my dad!”

The bickering escalates into actual combat, complete with the white-haired Hojo women (they look like sisters) transforming their arms into snakes and the Shima men using staffs similar to that of my classmate of the same name. Throughout the fight, I hear their names being thrown out. Ao. Nishiki. Mamushi. Kinzo. Juuzo. 

But then, almost as abruptly as it began, the fight is ended by an outside force: Suguro. He says a chant, does some hand signs, and creates a barrier. The Shima men and Hojo women stop fighting. 

“Stop it!” Suguro yells angrily. He’s absolutely furious. “What are you doing?! Aren’t you guys comrades?!”

But despite his fury, the faces of the five who were fighting a moment ago brighten. Not enemies anymore, now that Suguro’s here, are they?

“Oh, Bon!” says Kinzo. 

“Ryuuji!” exclaims one of the Hojo sisters. I think her name is Mamushi. 

“You’re back!” the black-haired Shima, Juuzo. 

But Suguro is in no mood for their flattery or happy words of welcome. “We’re being targeted by the enemy! This is no time to be causing internal discord!” 

Then he turns and storms out of the room, but he has to pass by me to do so. As he does, I catch a glimpse of his eyes as they make contact with mine for a moment, and I swear I see something of an apology in those eyes.  _ Why’s he sorry?  _ I wonder. He doesn’t say anything, but as he walks by me, he smoothly snags a piece of watermelon from the tray on my left hand. Then he’s gone. 

For some reason, the fact that he took one of the pieces of watermelon that I sliced makes me happy. It proves he’s not entirely ignoring me, and, quite possibly, that there’s a sliver of hope that, even if he doesn’t like me anymore, he at least doesn’t hate me as much as my other classmates do. 

“ _ I wonder if anyone’s gonna eat these watermelons? _ ” Kuro asks hungrily, and I can feel him eying the platters greedily. But I ignore him as I watch Suguro leave, Shima and Konekomaru chasing after him. 

Then I snap myself out of my trance, and go around offering watermelon to people.  _ It’s not going to do me much good to think about him right now. I need to do what I came here for, now that everyone has settled down.  _ Kuro does his part by cuddling up to the people who take the watermelon and begging a little from them. I can hear all his pleas in my head, and for the people who ask what he’s saying when I tell him to stop bothering them, I translate. Altogether, despite Yunokawa insisting that I’m not needed to care for the patients, I’d say that Kuro and I are doing a pretty good job keeping them happy. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

When I turn and storm out of the room, I have to pass by a certain unexpected someone to do so.  _ Rin was here the whole time? And she didn’t interfere? That’s impressive.  _ Although, it shouldn’t be so surprising, seeing as she’s balancing three plates of sliced watermelon on her hands and head. She quite literally has her hands full.  _ And… isn’t that her familiar on her shoulder? _ I barely even noticed his presence. His fur is about the same shade of black as her hair is, so all I can discern is his face and white chest and paws. As I pass Rin, I make eye contact with her for a moment, and I try to pour every ounce of an apology into my eyes, willing her to see it. I don’t want to treat her like this, like she’s a beast. She  _ is  _ a half demon, but she’s not evil, and if I’m the only one who fell in love with her, I’d be surprised. I don’t say anything, but as I walk by her, I snag a piece of watermelon from the tray on one of Rin’s hands. 

Once the three of us are out in the hallway, and moving away from the room, Shima groans loudly. “Come  _ on _ , Bon, don’t tell me you’re still into her!”

“Shut up!” I snap, still in a bit of a bad mood from seeing that fight. I take a huge bite of watermelon to avoid talking any further. But as much as I would like to, if I deny my feelings for Rin, I’d be lying to everyone. I still love her, and I want to apologize for everyone’s behavior, and tell her that we’re all still friends. 

There are more pressing matters for me right now, though.  _ Dad…  _

  
  


Rin POV:

“Hah…” groans Shima. “It’s gotten all dark. I’m totally beat after working like a dog all day.”

_ No, you’re totally beat after complaining like a lazy person all afternoon, _ I think, but say nothing. The four of us, Shima, Konekomaru, Suguro, and I have spent the last few hours doing some nice, productive, manual labor, and all Shima can do is complain about how tired he is while all he’s done is nothing to help. 

“Hold out for a little longer, Shima,” Konekomaru encourages Shima. I nearly groan.  _ Don’t validate his laziness, Konekomaru…  _

A nearby door slides open, and Suguro’s mother pokes her head out. “Ryuuji! Oh, the other boys and your pretty classmate are here too… that’s perfect! Can you boys give me a hand over here?”  _ Pretty classmate? And why just the guys? _

“Oh man, this is never gonna end!”

I sigh as quietly as I possibly can in this situation, but not as quietly as I probably should. “Shima, as long as I’m there, you won’t lift a finger. Stop complaining.”

“Oh, no, dear, you don’t need to help with this!” Suguro’s mother insists sweetly. “These boys have the strength to do this! I don’t want to put you out!”

_ Dear?  _ “It’s no trouble, really!” I also insist, just as politely. “I want to help, and besides, I’m a lot stronger than people think I am!”

Suguro’s mom smiles genuinely. “You’re so wonderful, sweetheart!”

_ Sweetheart?  _ I’m caught off-guard by the pet name, but I don’t dislike it. “Just call me Rin, Mrs. Suguro!” I grin. I like Suguro’s mom. 

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about such formality! You can call me Torako!” Strike that; I  _ love  _ Suguro’s mom. 

“Can all you carry all of the catered meals here to the guardroom at the Branch Office?” Torako asks once she’s led us to the kitchen. “We’ve got our hands full with so many of them.” This is a job I’m more than willing to take on. 

“Of course! Leave the menial jobs to us!” I tell her enthusiastically. 

“Really… it’s such a big help to us that all of you are working so hard! Thank you, Rin,” she tells me gratefully.

I grin as I slide my arms through the handles of bags holding drinks and grab two wrapped bento towers. “You’re welcome, Torako,” I reply. I’m more than happy to help her with anything. 

“Oh, my! You’re so strong!” Torako gasps at me. And then she immediately starts yelling rather angrily at her son. “Hey, Ryuuji! You get to work too!”

As we leave, Shima marvels at my strength because of how many of the heavy meals I’m able to carry. Secretly, I’m cheering myself on. When it comes to competitions of physical strength against these cram school boys, the score is currently 2 to 0 in my favor, the first time being when I pulled the cart with the lantern on it. 

We get the meals to the Branch Office with no difficulty at all. 

“Thank you,” Shura tells us once we’ve made our delivery. “You guys must be exhausted after working so hard today.”

“No biggie,” I tell her, shrugging.  _ No biggie for me, anyway.  _

“You guys head back first and rest. Tomorrow’s gonna be an early day too.”

“Alright!” Shima cheers. “It’s over!”

“Ms. Kirigakure,” says Suguro as she opens up her meal. “Is it okay if I head out for a bit?”

“Where to?”

“Rakuhoku Kongo Shinzan.”

“The mountain?! For what?!”

“To see my father.”

“No,” says Shura firmly. “As your guardian, there’s no chance I’m letting you climb a mountain after the sun’s already set. I’ve heard about the complicated circumstances over here. I know you have issues, but don’t you forget that we’re here in Kyoto on a mission. Nothing more, nothing less.” Suguro doesn’t look happy about it, but nor does he complain. “Alright, have those bento over there as your dinners. Take these cans of juice, too.” She points out the bento and holds out a bag of drinks.

“I’m sorry.” Suguro apologizes, turning and walking away as I collect the bento and drinks. “I’m taking my leave.”

The rest of us follow him outside, but he hasn’t said anything yet as he heads back toward the inn. 

“Hey, Suguro! Your bento!” I call after him as he walks ahead of us. He doesn’t respond. “You haven’t eaten anything yet, have you? Hey, Gorilla!”

I only used Izumo’s nickname for him, but that got his attention. “You’re like my noisy housewife!” he growls, spinning around and grabbing his bento and juice from my hands. Then he stomps away. 

“Guess I made him angry…” I mutter regretfully as I watch him leave. Oh, well. “Hey, Konekomaru, do you want to eat together?” I ask as non-threateningly as I can. 

“Sorry,” he apologizes, walking away. “I’m going home to visit my family’s graves, so…”

“I see.” I guess I understand how important that is. 

I glumly sit down on a nearby boulder and pop open my drink. I take a huge gulp, downing half the can at once. I immediately feel woozy, but I also don’t seem to care. 

“Um…” mutters Shima awkwardly. I forgot he was here. “I’m just gonna…”

“What?” For some reason, I feel really annoyed with him. “You gonna say you can’t eat with me too?” My words don’t sound right, either. They sound kinda… slow. And my mouth feels kinda hot.  _ Why’s that? _

  
  


Renzo POV:

“What?” Rin asks, sounding annoyed. But there’s something… off about her. “You gonna say you can’t eat with me too?” Suddenly I understand why. Her slightly glazed-over eyes, the blue flames sprouting lazily from her mouth…  _ That drink she has in her hand isn’t juice. _

“N-no!” I stammer, grabbing a bento and taking a seat on a big rock. I take a bite. “This bento’s delicious!” Actually, I can’t tell what it tastes like. I’m too nervous to actually be able to taste anything. It could be a pile of ashes in this bento box and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. 

“That’s all good then,” grumbles Rin a little grumpily, chewing her food. “But aren’t you sitting a little far away…?”

“Eh? Really?” She  _ is  _ quite a ways away from me… although that’s partially because I don’t really want to be sitting near an inebriated half-demon whose mood could change in an instant and who could easily burn me to a crisp if she wanted to. 

As if sensing my thoughts, she snaps, “You’re scared of me too, aren’t ya?!”

“Hahahahaha!” I laugh nervously. “No, no, no, I’m not scared at all!”  _ What’s with this mood in the air?  _ “Well, if I had to describe it, I’d say I hate troublesome stuff.”  _ Help.  _ One wrong word, and I could be burned alive.

“You hate troublesome stuff?” Rin repeats mockingly, slurring. “Lame! I hereby declare you lame and uncool!”

For some reason, that gets to me. “Huh? Did you… just say I was uncool?”  _ It’s almost unheard of for anyone to think I’m not cool! _ “Haven’t you heard?! I’m the _epitome_ of cool!”

Rin breaks down in a fit of giggles. “Ha, you?! Hahahaha!” She doesn’t stop. It seems that she can’t. 

“Hey! Why are you laughing so hard?!” I demand. 

Her giggles die down, and she wipes the tears of laughter from her face. “Listen up,” she says, still grinning. “In order, the five coolest guys I know are my dad, Suguro, Konekomaru, Yukio, and Kuro.”

“I’m not in the top five?! And how is a  _ cat  _ cooler than I am?!”  _ This is ridiculous!  _

“Nope!” Rin giggles again, then hiccups. A small blue flame escapes her lips. “You don’t even make the list! Kuro’s cool because he can talk to me in my head! To me,  _ all  _ you humans are boring!”

“What?! You’re horrible!” Well,  _ she’s _ not, but what she’s claiming  _ is  _ horrible. There’s no way I’m uncool. And humans  _ aren’t _ boring! Did she forget that she’s also part human? 

“Can’ help it,” she slurs. “This here’s the undeniable truth.”

There’s a long moment of silence between us. Then I can’t hold it in anymore. I start laughing. “What the heck?!” I snicker. “Here I was thinking I’d try my best not to get involved with you! Yet before I knew it, here I am, talking to you perfectly normally! Trying not to involve myself with you would’ve been troublesome! I give up!”

“That’s right, give it right up,” mutters Rin sullenly.  _ Jeez, talk about a mood swing,  _ I think nervously. “It’s no use anyway. Go on, laugh all you like.”

“Hahaha… That’s what I’m…” I stop, seeing her current state. She’s still sitting on her boulder, but she’s now slumped forward, in a surprisingly deep sleep. 

Cautiously, I get up and approach her. “Rin…?” I ask carefully. I poke her cheek experimentally. She doesn’t react. But that cat sith of hers does, looking at me curiously. It’s almost like he’s trying to ask me something. I shrug at him, and turn my attention back to Rin. “Can you wake up? Rin?” I say, this time grabbing her shoulders and shaking her a little. 

She grunts a little. “Go ‘way, Renzo…” she mutters groggily. “Wan’ sleep…”  _ Renzo? She’s calling me by my first name now? _

“You can, I promise,” I tell her. “We just need to get you back to the inn, then you can sleep all you want. Okay?”

She appears to have heard me, because she hums in affirmation and reaches out her arms, wrapping them loosely around my neck. I nearly sigh in exasperation.  _ Looks like I’ll have to carry her. More work for me… Well, at least she’s hot.  _ I guess I don’t really mind carrying a beautiful girl… Actually, I wouldn’t mind it if she were a hot guy, either. I have never told anyone this, even my siblings, but I’m bisexual. I’m a  _ lot _ more into girls than guys, of course, so it’s easy to make everyone think I’m straight, but there are a few dudes I’ve had a hard time keeping my eyes off.  _ Like Rin’s brother, for example… _ I shake my head.  _ Focus, Renzo!  _ I scold myself. 

Getting back to the task at hand, I lift Rin up and carry her back to the inn, her familiar following us. 

But then we run into Bon on one of the outside porches of the inn. And he doesn’t appear to be in any better shape than Rin is. 

I have a bad feeling.  _ This isn’t going to end well.  _


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji gets drunk, has a flashback, goes to a meeting, and witnesses an attack on the branch office. Rin meets Renzo’s older brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter, everyone! This chapter’s kinda long and doesn’t really focus on Rin a whole lot, but I hope you enjoy it!

Ryuuji POV:

I manage to make it back to the inn before I realize, too late, that I called Rin  _ my  _ housewife. Heat floods my cheeks as I feel more and more embarrassed.  _ I hope she didn’t notice. I’m such a moron! Why do I still have to be so in love with her?! _

I’m just opening up my drink, not even paying attention to what kind of juice it is, when I hear someone calling my name. “Ryuuji!” 

I look up, and see who my visitor is. “Uwabami!”

“It’s been a long time,” he greets me. Then he bows his head. “Thank you very much for dealing with the situation earlier with my subordinates.” He means his daughters, Mamushi, Ao, and Nishiki. They were fighting with Juuzo and Kinzo earlier today. 

“Not at all,” I tell him modestly. “It’s no biggie.” I was happy to help, especially since we really can’t afford to be fighting amongst ourselves right now. 

“That’s good if you think so,” says Uwabami. “I have something I wish to tell you.”  _ Huh? _ Seeing my confusion, he continues. “Ryuuji, regarding the incident today… were you aware that the followers of Myou Dha are under suspicion?”

“Say what…?”  _ I had no idea… What’s he talking about? Is this why those five were fighting in the first place? _

“Thus we have decided that we would like to gather all those under Myou Dha and conduct an internal investigation first.”

“No way…” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Do you have anyone in particular in mind?”

“I do not. However, even the chief is under suspicion. We have to do this. Something may well come to light.”

“Have you contacted Dad?”

“No. This is ultimately an internal matter within the Order. It has nothing to do with the Most High Priest.”

“Yes it does!” I protest. “The ones under suspicion are all those under Myou Dha!” Then I realize I was shouting just now. “Sorry. I’ll be there. As for Dad… can you bring him along? Drag him to the meeting if you must.”

“I understand.” Uwabami bows his head again. “I have made the necessary arrangements. It will take place in a room at Toraya as soon as everyone arrives.”

He leaves me to eat my meal, and I take a big swig of my opened drink. 

The effect is almost immediate.  _ What the… my head is spinning and I hear chanting…  _ I think groggily. Then the memory washes over me. 

_ It was my own voice that was chanting, a version of me from several years ago. I was still a little kid.  _

_ “I learned that from hearing Dad chant then the other day,” I boasted to Renzo and Konekomaru when I finished my chant.  _

_ “You’re amazing, Bon,” gasped Koneko in awe. “You could remember it after only hearing it twice!” _

_ “You’re totally abnormal,” said Renzo, with a bit of concern in his voice. “For real, dude, you’ve gotta have a screw loose up there…” _

_ “Who are you calling abnormal?!” I shouted. Even back then, I had a short temper. “I’m the heir of this temple, so something like this…” _

_ “We’re already at our limit,” said someone a little ways away. “It seems we’ve lost even more patrons. I won’t be able to support my family at this rate!” _

_ Even at my young age, this statement shocked me. In horror, I listened to what other people had to say.  _

_ “I’m going to leave Myou Dha!” _

_ “Even worse, I get so scared every time I think that the Blue Night might happen again…” _

_ “I hear people are leaving from the other sects too.” _

_ I couldn’t take it anymore, and stood up, rushing toward them. “Wait!” I yelled. “If it’s about money, Dad is collecting some donations right now, and things will definitely improve after that, so let’s all stick this out together!” _

_ “Ryuuji…” _

_ “Furthermore, once I grow up and inherit this temple, I’ll defeat Satan with Dad! I’ll make sure the Blue Night never happens again! So just hold on a little longer!” _

_ “Defeat Satan, you say?” _

_ “Ryuuji, the Most High Priest’s fund raising efforts haven’t been going too well. And our reason for leaving isn’t just that. The Most High Priest has moved the all-important honzon somewhere. That’s like betraying his followers… no, it’s as good as betraying Myou Dha itself. We can no longer follow Most High Priest Tatsuma.” _

_ “W… wait a minute,” I protested. “I’m sure Dad…” _

_ “Bon, that’s enough,” said Koneko gently, as he and Renzo restrained me.  _

_ “Let me go!” _

_ “Bon,” said an older voice, and suddenly my feet were no longer on the ground. Instead, I was about 50 cm higher than usual. “What’s wrong, eh?” _

_ “Mamushi! Juuzo!” Juuzo was the one who picked me up. “Everyone’s saying they’re gonna leave the temple! You and Mamushi… Renzo and Konekomaru… Is everyone gonna leave?!” _

_ Juuzo just grinned at me. “That’s not gonna happen,” he promises.  _

_ “Everyone,” announced Yaozo, “I have something to say. After the Blue Night… a perpetuating bad reputation, a loss of followers, financial troubles… The Myou Dha sect has been faced with an unprecedented predicament, and we’re walking on thin ice here. The Most High Priest and we High Priests have had many discussions about the matter, and we have reached a single conclusion! The Myou Dha sect will be incorporated into the True Cross Order!”  _

_ “As you all know,” continued Uwabami, “the True Cross Order is an international organization to which all exorcists hailing from each religion belong to. The form it takes may be different, but it does not contradict the teachings of Myou Dha, which touts genuine exorcism! The Most High Priest has agreed to this as well.” _

_ “Those who are for this, raise your hands!” _

_ The next thing I knew, I was running down the halls trying to find my dad. _

_ “Dad!” I yelled when I found him. “I heard about the True Cross Order! Are you going to become an exorcist too?!” _

_ But he just grinned, as if to put me at ease. “Nope.” _

_ “Eh?” _

_ “All matters after we enter the Order will be left to Yaozo and Uwabami. This way, the followers will be at ease. Ryuuji, you don’t have to worry anymore.” I gaped at him as he left. “Well then, Dad is busy, so… see you later.” _

_ “Dad…?!” _

_ Fast forward to years later, several months ago, in fact, and I found myself sitting in front of both of my parents, with big news. “I’m heading to a high school in Tokyo, the True Cross Academy,” I told them unwaveringly. “I’ll study exorcism at the exorcist cram school and become an exorcist.” My parents just regarded me silently from across the table. “I feel uneasy about the state of Buddhism in our world right now. In order to attract more followers, I would like to acquire as much knowledge of exorcism as possible.” _

_ “No,” my dad said firmly.  _

_ “Why not?!” I demanded.  _

_ “How many times do I have to say this?! You can live on in any way you like! You’ve got the brains. You’ve got a beautiful body untainted by mashou. You can become a respectable man. If you want, you could even inherit this inn of your mother’s.” _

_ “I  _ am _ going to live the way I like!” I snapped at him. “Who would choose to inherit this inn, you baldie?!” _

_ “What did you just say about this inn?!” Mom screeched angrily. “Why, you grew up in this inn!” _

_ Oops. “Mom… Sorry, I said that on impulse.” _

_ “This discussion is over,” said Dad, going to the door and opening it. Renzo and Konekomaru nearly toppled over into the room on top of each other.  _

_ “Running away now, are we?!” I demanded. “You hardly ever come home… You abandoned Myou Dha by not even entering the Order! Aren’t you just running away?! Do you know what people say about you, Dad?! They call you a coward of a worldly monk! Did you know that?! Aren’t you mortified?!” He didn’t say anything. “Well,  _ I _ am!” I stood up. “Not like it matters if you approve of me going. I’ve already submitted my application. And it even looks like I’ll be able to get a scholarship.” _

_ “What?! You didn’t even ask…” my mom exclaimed in shock.  _

_ “I  _ will _ become an exorcist,” I declared. “And once I  _ am _ one, I’ll defeat Satan and use that to gather up some followers! And with that, I’ll rebuild this temple!” _

_ Dad slowly started turning around in disbelief. “Ryuuji…!” _

_ “I…” _

“...won’t run away…” my waking self mutters sleepily. I still feel really fuzzy. Maybe I should go back to my room. But I’m just so tired… 

  
  


Rin POV:

I yawn widely. I don’t remember anything about last night. I think I remember talking to Shima, but that’s about it. I woke up very late this morning with a headache, somehow in my room, and wearing my entire school uniform, including my shoes. I showered, put on the first set of clothes at the top of my bag, brushed my hair and tail, and headed down to the dining room for breakfast. Actually, given the time of day, it’s more like lunch. I’m currently sitting at a table with my back facing Suguro’s. 

He was here sitting with Konekomaru before I arrived, and stared at me when I walked in. Food actually dropped out of his mouth when he gaped at me. Probably because I’m wearing stretchy short black shorts and a dark blue crop top that is rather low-cut and barely reaches the bottom of my ribs. I’m pretty sure I didn’t own these things before we left True Cross. My only guess is that Shura snuck them into my bag when I wasn’t looking. Only  _ she _ would add clothes like these. But since I didn’t feel like rummaging around for anything else, this is what I settled on. At least it’s comfortable in this heat.

“I can’t remember a single thing from last night,” Suguro is in the middle of admitting to Konekomaru. “Kinda feels like I downed a couple before conking out. Could that teacher have mixed up her own drinks with ours? That might actually be the reason I woke up so late today, too… What a good-for-nothing…”

_ Shura mixed up the drinks? That might explain a lot, actually. The fuzzy feeling I had in my head, only remembering a minute or two after that… If so… did I get drunk last night? And if that’s the case, how did I get back to my room? _

“Are you alright?” Konekomaru asks. 

“Yeah, I’m alright, Koneko. Yesterday, were you able to pay your respects to your family?”

“Yeah.”

“I see. That’s good. In that case, I’m off.”

“Okay. Uguisu room, right?”

“Yeah.”

_ What’s going on in the Uguisu room? Are he and Konekomaru meeting up or something? Will other people be there? What’s going on? _ I wonder.  _ It’s probably none of my business, though.  _

“Good morning, Rin!” Shima’s too-cheerful voice greets me.  _ Wait, he’s greeting me? _ I blink in surprise, staring at him. “At least I can still say that after the night you had! Did you sleep alright last night?” He sits down in front of me, on the other side of the table, so we can talk face to face. 

“I don’t remember…” I admit. The last thing I remember from last night is Shima trying to ditch me so I’d have to eat my dinner alone.

“Ha ha ha!” Shima laughs. “Figured as much. Looks like I made the right choice, choosing not to drink!”

He’s acting like we’re best friends now. Why? “Look, Shima, are you sure it’s okay for you to be chatting with me so casually like this?”

“Of course!” He grins genuinely. “After all, last night you called me—” Then his eyes go wide in terror. Probably because of someone shouting his name. 

“Reeeeeennnnnnzoooo!” A moment later, a kick hits Shima in the face. “There he is!” Connected to the kick is a vaguely familiar blond guy.  _ What’s his name again? Kinzo, right? _

“What the heck was  _ that _ , Kin?!” Shima yells. 

“Huh?” Kinzo asks innocently. “That was a flying kick! Man, you’re dense!”

“You’re calling  _ me  _ dense?!  _ You’re  _ the idiot!”

“Renzo,” the grinning black-haired guy greets my classmate. He’s familiar too.  _ Isn’t his name Juuzo or something? _ “Great to see you looking as lively as ever!”

Shima groans. “Not you too, Juuzo…” He crawls back to his spot at the table in front of me. “Anyway, are you guys feeling better already?”  _ These guys were in the infirmary yesterday,  _ I remember. That’s why I remembered their names, I already kinda met them when I was passing out watermelon. 

“I wasn’t hurt very badly to begin with,” brags Juuzo. “I’m going back to the Branch Office this afternoon.” He notices Konekomaru. “Oh! Koneko, what’re you doing over there? Come here and eat your lunch with us.”

“Ah…” says Konekomaru nervously. “Actually, I just finished…” He picks up his tray and leaves. 

Juuzo stares blankly at the spot that Konekomaru was just sitting. “What’s wrong with  _ him _ ?” 

“Hey, Renzo,” says Kinzo, looking curiously at me, “who’s this hot chick? Is she your girlfriend? And why does she look so familiar?” 

“She’s _ right here _ , and can be directly spoken to,” I snap, pretending to be annoyed with Kinzo. 

Kinzo jolts and blushes in embarrassment. “Sorry!” he squeaks. He tries again. “Excuse me, Miss, might I ask your name and relationship to Renzo?

I snicker. “Man, you’re fun to mess with. I’m Rin Okumura, by the way, and I’m Shima’s classmate. Also, the reason you recognize me is probably because I’m the one who passed out watermelon to the sick people yesterday.”

Kinzo’s eyes widen in recognition. “Oh! Watermelon Girl!” He grins. “Nice to finally meet you! Wait, are you dating Renzo?!”

“She’s not my girlfriend! She’s just my friend!” Shima insists, blushing a little. 

“Oh, I see! I’m Juuzo, Renzo’s big brother!” Juuzo introduces himself, grinning.

“Pleasure to meet you,” I greet Juuzo politely. “I didn’t know that Shima had an older brother,” I admit. “He never mentioned his family during cram school.”

Juuzo merely laughs as he plops down beside me. “There are actually six of us siblings. Our oldest brother died during the Blue Night, but the second son is Gozo, I’m the third son, and the dude over there is the fourth son Kinzo. He’s the idiot of the family. We also have two sisters. Renzo’s the youngest of us brothers, and he’s a real perv. Speaking of which, he hasn’t done anything to you, has he? You seem to have the body type that he likes.”

I can’t help but snicker a little. As if Shima could really do anything bad to  _ me _ without my permission. “Well… he’s  _ here _ right now, alive and well, isn’t he?”

“Riiiin…” complains Shima. Meanwhile, Juuzo laughs good-naturedly. 

“What?! You’re on a first name basis?!” Kinzo demands angrily. “I thought you said she  _ wasn’t _ your girlfriend, Renzo!”

“I’m  _ not _ ,” I confirm. “I just insist that everyone calls me by my first name because it can get confusing when my brother Yukio and I are together and we both respond to ‘Okumura’ simultaneously.”

Juuzo nods. “I feel your pain, Rin. It’s the same with all us Shimas around here. It’s better to call us by our first names.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Renzo cuts off his brother. “Anyway, Rin, do you want to take a dip in the pool later?”

“Huh? Since when do we have time for something like that?”

“Apparently we got the whole day off today,” he says, grinning. “It’s hot outside, so what do you say to inviting the other girls over for some fun in the pool? Come on, I know you want to see them in bikinis as much as I do.”

I don’t answer right away. He’s right, though, since pretty much everyone, regardless of gender, is my type. And he’s knowingly using my pansexuality against me. I scowl a little at him. “Tch! I hate when you actually make a good point. But seriously?  _ Just _ the girls? What, like you want us to be your harem or something? No thanks, Renzo.”

“Hey now, don’t be like that!” Renzo begs. “Hey, tell you what, if you bring Izumo and Moriyama, I’ll make sure Bon’s there!”

_ Suguro? _ I snort in laughter. “Pfft! Yeah, like  _ that  _ would be a good idea. First off, even if it  _ weren’t _ coming from me, I doubt Izumo and Shiemi would agree. Secondly, why would you bring  _ Suguro _ ? That guy isn’t exactly my biggest fan at the moment.” I’m not convinced that he hates me, but our friendship is a little shaky at the moment. 

“You sure? I beg to differ,” grins Renzo slyly. 

“Yeah? Based on what?” I scoff skeptically. There’s no way he still likes me after he found out I’m the daughter of the demon he wants to defeat. There’s no way he still likes me after I kept my true identity a secret from him. That’s the whole reason everyone’s mad at me in the first place.

“Last night.” Then Renzo escapes having to explain himself when he takes a huge bite of food and can’t make a sound. 

“Renzo,” I warn him dangerously as he chews. “What  _ exactly _ happened last night?”

“Since when is he ‘Renzo’ to you, Rin? Don’t tell me my girl’s got a crush,” a familiar voice snickers behind me, and the fur on my tail bristles in surprise as a jolt runs down my spine. I feel Juuzo’s eyes on my tail, as if he only just noticed it. But I wasn’t expecting to encounter  _ her _ so early in the morning. 

I quickly compose myself, though. “I don’t have a crush,” I tell her coolly. “It’ll just be confusing if I call him ‘Shima’ when his brothers are around,” I explain calmly. “You wouldn’t call me and Yukio by our last name when we’re together, would you?”

“Either way,” Shura tells me dismissively, “I hope you weren’t making any plans. Today might be your day off, but whatever happened to training? Did you get  _ any _ of it done yesterday?”

“No…” I admit sheepishly. “My memories of yesterday break off halfway.” But fortunately, I do remember some things about yesterday, specifically pertaining to training. 

“You’re just being lazy!” She grabs the back of my crop top and hauls me up off the floor where I’m sitting. 

“Hey!” I protest, my arms instinctively crossing over my chest to make sure I’m not exposed. I bet Renzo would just love that. 

“Umm… the reason for her memory loss is probably that you mixed up the drinks,” Renzo points out foolishly. Fortunately, Shura doesn’t turn on him. 

“Jeez! Everything boils down to you not having enough training!” Shura tells me crossly. “I’m going to train you hard today! Come on, Rin!” Then she literally drags me out of there, not giving me time to ask Renzo about last night. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

My cheeks burn as I stride down the hall to the Uguisu room. Koneko and I were sitting in the dining room, having breakfast, when  _ she _ walked in and made me gape so wide that food actually dropped out of my mouth. Rin was wearing just a pair of very short (and form-fitting) black shorts and a low-cut, stomach-baring navy-blue crop top (and the stomach it bares has zero fat and the most defined abs I’ve ever seen on a girl, which is both hot and terrifying). I didn’t even know she  _ owned  _ an outfit like that. She’s so beautiful, so distracting, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she brushed the fur on her tail today. It looks so soft. I just want to run my fingers through her fur… I bet she’d enjoy it, too… 

_ Man, why does she have to be so attractive?! Did she wear that outfit because she knew it’d have an effect on me? Or is she just  _ that _ oblivious to her own beauty? Either way, I’m screwed if she keeps wearing clothes like that. I’m already too in love with her as it is, and now she has to be even  _ more _ attractive. At this rate, I’m going to have a rival for her affections, because there’s no way anyone in their right mind would pass up someone as beautiful as Rin Okumura, regardless of her parentage.  _ I suddenly realize I’ve stopped in the middle of the hallway. 

I shake my head. I need to clear all my thoughts of Rin. Right now, I have to focus on the meeting, and whoever might be the traitor among us. But it’s so hard when she’s that distracting. Actually, no matter what she wears, she’s  _ always _ a distraction for me. It has nothing to do with what she’s wearing or how much skin she’s baring. It’s not her fault, it’s  _ mine _ for being so attracted to her.  _ No. Enough of her. I have to focus on this meeting.  _ I shake my head again, and start moving toward the meeting room once more. I have a responsibility to be there, after all. 

I’m not the last one to arrive. Koneko appears, introduces himself formally, and sits diagonally from me. Immediately, he notices that my father isn’t here, despite my asking Uwabami to bring him to the meeting. 

Then Juuzo comes in, supporting Yaozo, who still doesn’t look like he’s doing very well at all. 

“Everyone…” Yaozo coughs, making me worried about him. “Thank you for gathering here on such short notice…”

“Yaozo! Are you alright?!” I ask in concern. “Aren’t you worse than you were yesterday?”

“Bon… I’m sorry that you have to see me in this state!” Yaozo apologizes. “There is something I must inform all of you about… I got a call just now. The Most High Priest has an important matter to see to, and will thus be absent from this meeting.” Seriously?!  _ That dumb baldie!  _ “The Most High Priest may not be here, but the matter at hand requires immediate attention, so we will proceed with the meeting like this. Today, the heads of various families, as well as those involved in the incident of the Right Eye, have been called here for no other reason than to unmask the traitor.”

“Please hold on!” someone protests. “Is there any proof that he’s even part of the Myou Dha sect?”

“Yeah…” agrees one of the Hojo sisters. “In the first place, the fact that the Left Eye even existed was something that we ourselves were surprised to learn about a mere four days ago!”

“Silence!” Yaozo coughs again. “At the time of the Right Eye incident, the people present were all from the Myou Dha sect!”

“In addition,” says Uwabami, “the only people capable of breaking that seal are those from Myou Dha, no? Juuzo, could we have you give a report on the incidents at the shinbu that day?”

“Yes,” says Juuzo. Juuzo tells us how he and Mamushi were talking to my dad, when the homa-mandala suddenly flared up. My dad yelled at Mamushi to get Ao and Nishiki out of there, then started chanting to try to control the fire. But instead of obeying, Mamushi went to go protect the Right Eye. When the seal on the Right Eye started coming undone, Yaozo stepped in and tried to reseal it. But as my dad chanted, the fire from the altar took shape, winding itself around the tower that held the Right Eye. Then there was a blast that threw Yaozo from the tower, separating him from the Right Eye and putting him in the weakened state he is in right now. 

“In other words,” says Uwabami, “at the scene near the Right Eye were my three daughters, Juuzo, Yaozo, and Most High Priest Tatsuma, who is absent today. Just these six people. Now, I’d like to make note of something. As you all know, the one who conspired to steal the Left Eye from headquarters is former deep keep chief, Saburota Todou. Juuzo, Mamushi, both of you learnt about magic circles and seals in your times at the exorcist cram school.”

“And so?” Juuzo questions, waiting for Uwabami to make his point. 

“Father!” Mamushi protests. “Are you suspecting me?!”

“There isn’t anyone else among the six of you who had any connection to Todou,” Uwabami explains calmly. 

“No way! Just because he was one of our instructors… But Shima was pretty close to Todou, weren’t you?” Mamushi accuses Juuzo. 

“Huh?! I just liked his classes!” Juuzo says almost angrily. 

“I was just stating what I observed.”

“In any case, why did you get so close to the homa-mandala?!”

“That was because I thought the Right Eye was in danger!”

“And what made you think so? The Most High Priest told you to run away, didn’t he? You were supposed to have ran…”

“What are you insinuating?!”

“I’m saying your actions are way too questionable!”

“Father! Believe me! Shima is just trying to divert suspicion from himself!” Mamushi insists. 

“Mamushi! We’re still in the middle of this discussion! Calm down!” Uwabami orders. Up until now, Mamushi and Juuzo have just been shouting at each other. But now Mamushi speaks in a quieter, more controlled voice. 

“Back then,” she says, “when the flames of homa-mandala began to dance, to me, it looked like Tatsuma was manipulating the flames. He was chanting some mantra that I’d never heard before…”

“Yeah…” agrees Juuzo, realization in his eyes. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it did look like he was fanning the flames… I’m just saying that’s what it looked like!”

Now all the suspicion is on my dad. The fact that he’s not here right now makes him even more suspicious, and more likely to be the traitor. But no one is thinking clearly anymore, so the meeting is disbanded. 

_ I’m at the limit of my patience…! When morning comes, I’m going up to Kongo Shinzan and questioning dad!  _ Coming around a corner, I see Juuzo. Intuition tells me to stay hidden, so I retreat a little bit. Sure enough, two more monks appear. 

“Juuzo,” says one. “Good work today. I heard that the higher-ups of the Myou Dha sect we’re gathered from all over Japan. Did something happen?”

“No… Is there some rumor about that going around?” Juuzo asks. 

“No, just now, all the upper first and second exorcists from shinbu security received an urgent summons from the chief. I think they’re going to have a meeting or something.”

“But isn’t it dangerous that the security at the shinbu is spread so thin?”

“You’re right,” agrees Juuzo. “I’ll ask the chief about it.”

“Okay.”

Juuzo waits until he thinks he’s alone, then pulls out a key. He inserts it into a nearby door, turns it, and goes inside. I recognize the key.  _ The Branch Office key? Why’s he going to the Branch Office all of a sudden?  _ I have to follow him. I need to know what he’s doing at the Branch Office. Without hesitation, I leave the inn and make my way to the office. 

“Oh, Bon,” says Kinzo. He’s the first person I see when I arrive. “What’re you doing?”

“Which way to the underground elevator?” I ask. I don’t have time to chat with him. 

“To your right. If it’s about the catered meals, they’ve already been delivered, you know?”

I don’t care about the catered meals. I’ve already made it to the elevator, so I head down. 

When the doors open, I’m met with several bodies on the floor, hopefully no more than unconscious. One of the bodies groans. “Hey!” I yell, running up to the guy. “Are you alright?!” He just groans again. There’s nothing I can do for him right now.  _ Just what is going on, Juuzo? _ “You couldn’t be… No way…” I whisper.  _ Don’t tell me  _ he’s _ the traitor! _

I sneak quietly into the shinbu, and sure enough, Juuzo is here, kneeling beside another body. He slowly stands up, and looks in the direction of the Right Eye. “What are you doing over there?” Juuzo asks. “Mamushi.” She turns around at the sound of her name, and the two of them simply stare at one another for a few seconds.  _ Mamushi?! For real?!  _ “So it was you after all,” continues Juuzo. “Caught you red-handed doing some pretty suspicious stuff, haven’t I?” She doesn’t answer him. “I may not really like you, but I’ve always thought of you as someone who had Myou Dha’s interests at heart more than anyone else. So why?! Say something!”

For a moment, Mamushi remains silent. Then, finally, she speaks. “In order to bring Myou Dha to its senses. The real traitor is Tatsuma Suguro, and Japanese Branch Head, Mephisto Pheles.”

“Mephisto?! What are you saying?!”

“Eight years ago,” begins Mamushi, “shortly after I enrolled in the exorcist cram school, Todou spoke his mind and shared something with me. He told me about the Left Eye of the Impure King, and how it belonged to Mephisto Pheles and was kept in the deep keep. He said a Right Eye also existed, though nothing was known about it. He asked me if I knew anything, being from Myou Dha, which defeated the Impure King. I knew nothing. At that moment, a single seed of doubt took root in my heart. Todou had been suspecting Mephisto for a long time, and wanted to expose his misdeeds. Thus, I decided to help him. Mephisto, the Impure King, Tatsuma Suguro… I thoroughly investigated them over the years. Although, I wasn’t able to gather any concrete evidence against them. But just a week ago, at Mephisto’s discipline trial that was held at the Vatican, I obtained some rather incriminating information. That is, ‘Mephisto Pheles has let the daughter of Satan live and is raising her in absolute secrecy.’ That is what I discovered.”

“What did you say?!” Juuzo says in disbelief. 

I’m shocked too.  _ She knows about Rin… _

“Furthermore,” continues Mamushi, “in order to let that daughter of Satan live, he had to use out Myou Dha sect’s honzon.”  _ The Koma sword. _

“What proof do you have?!” Juuzo demands. 

“How could I have any proof of that right now? But someday, things will come to light. I can no longer trust the higher-ups,” she says as she transforms her arms into snakes, preparing to attack. “Todou will seal the Right Eye and Left Eye in a safer place than the shinbu.”

“Stop this, Mamushi!” Juuzo yells. “Don’t do such reckless things on your own! At least state your position in front of everyone!”

“Hmph… The higher-ups are all people who suspect nothing of Tatsuma, who sold Myou Dha into the True Cross Order, and who still consider him their leader! Even my father! And the Shima family is the worst of them all! In the end, everyone would just say ‘calm down, you’re thinking too much,’ as if we have time to be idling about this!”  _ Yeah… What Mamushi is saying is exactly what I’ve been wondering all along! From the day I saw those blue flames…  _ “I don’t need you people on my side! Everything I did was to save Myou Dha!” She sends her snakes forward, attacking Juuzo. 

“You’re serious about this, Mamushi?!” Juuzo shouts. “In that case, as your childhood friend, I’ll do you a favor and see you in the next life!” He lunges with his staff, and I realize that they both have full intention of killing each other. 

“Stop it!” I yell. “Mamushi! Juuzo!”  _ There’s no reason for you two to fight!  _ But suddenly, the entire room begins to shake. “What’s going on?!”

“The ceiling is…!” Juuzo realizes in horror.  _ It’s rotting! _

And then it all comes crumbling down, enormous pieces of rubble crashing down around the Right Eye. In the midst of it all, a man appears.

“Hey there,” he says to Juuzo, grinning. “Long time no see, Shima.”

“Todou!”  _ So this is Todou?  _ “You sly fox! What were you planning, deceiving Mamushi like that?!”

“A sly fox, you say? Hahahahaha! Excellent!” Todou laughs. “No, all I’m doing this time is backing Hojo up.”

“Exactly,” confirms Mamushi, now holding the Right Eye, which her snakes have retrieved for her. “Todou is not involved.”

“Mamushi! You’ve been completely deceived by Todou! Don’t you get it?!” Juuzo shouts. But Mamushi isn’t listening. She pulls the eye from the round bottle it’s sealed in. “Mamushi, what are you doing?! Give it to me! Stop!”

“The ones who have been deceived are the lot of you!” Mamushi says, and holds the eye up to her face. Then she and Todou are gone, having disappeared into thin air. 

A chattering crowd begins to form, drawn in by the explosion, and I see a familiar face, one that I haven’t laid eyes on in a few months. 

Angrily, I stomp over and grab his shoulder. “Long time no see, Dad…!” I growl. I haven’t seen him since I got back! It’s like he’s been actively avoiding me, and now I find out that he’s wrapped up in this mess?

“Wha?! Ryuuji! It’s been a while, huh…?” Dad says sheepishly. “Quite a fine cock’s comb you have there…”

“Where are you going?!” I demand. I don’t care about his opinion of my hair, I want to know what he’s up to!

“Ah,” he says uncomfortably. “I’d love to stay and talk all day with you, but I’ve got to chase after Mamushi or she’ll… So could you let me go?”

“Chase after Mamushi?”  _ That’s  _ his priority?! “From the very beginning, Mamushi’s betrayal… us being in this state…! Everything is your fault!”

“Ryuuji…”

“Dad, is what Mamushi said about you betraying us true?!”

“Of course not,” he denies firmly. 

“In that case, with everyone here present as witnesses, right now, tell us the truth!”

“The truth…? That’s a secret! A secret I can’t even share with you, my son.” In surprise, I let go of his robes.  _ What is he saying? What’s so secret about it?  _ “I really wish I could just bring it with me to my grave, you know?”

“What are you talking about…? In a situation like this…”

“Anyway! This isn’t the time for that. We’ve got to chase after Mamushi. Ryuuji, be good and listen to what your mom and teachers tell you, okay?”

His telling me this infuriates me again. “Don’t you be acting all fatherly!” I yell. 

“Ryuuji…”

“If you’re just going to brush this off without saying anything, I’ll never acknowledge you as my father, not till the day I die!” I shout at him, in the heat of my emotions.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin masters her flames, has a conversation with Konekomaru, and is imprisoned for trying to teach Ryuuji a lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here’s the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Rin POV: 

“Yes! See that, Shura?! I got it!” I cheer joyously, having finally succeeded in my training. I applied the principles I thought of yesterday on the train, and on my first try, I lit the candles perfectly. 

Shura stares at me, gaping. When she finally finds her voice, she starts yelling. “What the  _ heck _ happened to you?!” she demands. “Yesterday you were having endless trouble, and  _ now  _ you’re able to light the candles no problem?! Great, now I actually have to figure out something harder for you to do!” She groans. “Go on, then, take a break so I can figure out how to train you now!”

“Yes, ma’am!” I chirp happily, saluting, and I jump off the roof. I land on all fours like a cat, then stand up to go for a walk.  _ Finally! I’m starting to get control over my flames! I know I can only light candles right now, but I can finally decide what burns and what doesn’t.  _

I’m broken out of my thoughts when I overhear someone talking. “Father… Mother,” the familiar voice is murmuring. It’s Konekomaru. “Esteemed ancestors. I am powerless. What should I do…?”

“Konekomaru?” He’s praying at a set of graves.  _ These can’t belong to anyone but his family. Why else would he be here? _ But the instant he hears my voice, he abruptly starts to leave. “Hey, wait!” I leap forward, and land in front of him. He skids to a stop, looking terrified. “Why are you running away from me?! I just want to make things right with you!”

“R-Rin, I don’t want you going near Bon ever again! Bon’s got enough on his plate as it is!” Konekomaru shouts. 

“What does Suguro have to do with  _ anything _ right now?!” I demand, confused.  _ Why bring Suguro into this? _ “I’m here because I want to talk to  _ you _ !”

Koneko gapes like a fish for a few seconds, before closing his mouth and looking down. “I… I have nothing… As you can see, I have neither parents nor relatives. Myou Dha even took care of a person like me! I want to repay that debt one day! That’s why I want to work for Myou Dha in the future! Myou Dha is the only place I can be… Anyone who threatens to destroy it is my enemy!”

“I see…” I understand now. He just wants to protect his home. “So if I can prove to you that I’m not a threat, we can make up?” I ask. He looks surprised to hear me say that. “Well, I’ve got some good news for you, then! I’m well on my way to being in full control of my flames now! Shura had me lighting candles, and I was finally able to do it right a few minutes ago! I know I still have a lot to learn, but it’ll be a breeze now that I can decide what does and doesn’t burn. So please, don’t see me as your enemy. I want to be friends with everyone again, and that means you too.” 

“Rin… I…” He looks absolutely shocked. 

I snicker. “Come on, what’s with that look? You didn’t think I’d seriously neglect training, would you? I didn’t have control at all that day in the forest, and I realize that must have been scary to everyone. So I’m doing my best to take control of my power and make sure no one ever gets hurt from it. Okay?”

Konekomaru nods. “I understand. Thank you, Rin. But I’m sorry. I still can’t trust that you’re not dangerous yet.” 

“I know.” The look in his eyes… he still doesn’t trust me yet. “I’ll leave you alone for now, then.” I begin walking away, but then remember something he said, and I stop, looking over my shoulder. “Oh, by the way, it doesn’t seem like you’ve noticed, so I’ll just tell you. You aren’t really someone who has nothing, are you? You have a ton of precious things you want to protect, don’t you? Your home, your friends… And wouldn’t you say that the Suguros and the Shimas are your family? Because that’s what it seems like to me.” I give him a friendly smile, then leave him, dumbfounded, behind me. 

“Feel like you’re finally standing at the starting line, now?” Shura asks. I took a long time on my walk after meeting Konekomaru, exploring the area, before I returned to the roof. Kuro immediately jumped on my shoulder when I came back. 

“Yep! I know I’ve still got a long way to go, but completing the candle training was a huge step for me!” It means I can move on to bigger things, more advanced techniques with my flames. But before Shura can reply, something happens. In the distance, there’s an explosion. All three of us turn our heads. “What was that?!”

“ _ Over there! _ ” Kuro cries frantically, pointing with his paw. 

“Smoke?! What’s going on?!” I wonder, gaping.

“Something happened at the Branch Office,” deduces Shura. “Can’t be helped. Rin, follow me!” She jumps off the roof, and I obediently follow her, Kuro still clinging to me. 

“Chase after Mamushi?” a familiar voice shouts angrily as Shura, Kuro, and I arrive. “From the very beginning, Mamushi’s betrayal… us being in this state…! Everything is your fault!”

“Ryuuji…” There’s another familiar voice. It’s Suguro and his dad. 

“Dad, is what Mamushi said about you betraying us true?!”

“Of course not.”

“In that case, with everyone here present as witnesses, right now, tell us the truth!”

“The truth…? That’s a secret! A secret I can’t even share with you, my son.” In surprise, Suguro lets go of his father’s robes. “I really wish I could just bring it with me to my grave, you know?”

“What are you talking about…? In a situation like this…”

“Anyway! This isn’t the time for that. We’ve got to chase after Mamushi. Ryuuji, be good and listen to what your mom and teachers tell you, okay?”

Suguro seems more infuriated now, though. “Don’t you be acting all fatherly!” he yells. 

“Ryuuji…”

“If you’re just going to brush this off without saying anything, I’ll never acknowledge you as my father, not till the day I die!” Suguro shouts at his dad. 

But Suguro’s father does little to acknowledge his words. “Now, I must go,” he tells him. “Please pardon me…”

“Hold it,” I growl forcefully. As soon as I heard Suguro say he would no longer acknowledge his father, a flood of memories hit me. I said the same thing to my own dad, just before he was possessed by Satan. 

“Rin?!”

“Why are you walking away?!” I demand, rounding on Suguro’s father. “Aren’t you Suguro’s dad?!”

“Rin…” he mutters in surprise. 

“And  _ you _ ,” I hiss, spinning around to address Suguro. I haven’t forgotten about him. “Suguro, you  _ jerk _ !” I don’t mean to punch him. Honestly. But one second, my hand is by my side, and the next, my fist is making hard contact with his cheek. But there’s also one other thing I don’t mean to happen. Just for a second, in my anger, I slip up and my flames appear for a moment. 

“What the…” Suguro says, dazed. 

“I don’t know the details,” I admit to him, “but I’ll say this, because I know you’re going to regret it if I don’t! Listen to me! Apologize to your dad! Do it while you can!”  _ I know this from experience! _ When Shiro Fujimoto went into a coma, I thought I’d never be able to speak with him again, that he’d die in his sleep, and I’ve regretted it every day until I was finally able to see him in the hospital. I still regret being the reason he was injured so badly, and I’m sure there’s nothing I can do to make it up to him.

“This has nothing to do with you! Stay out of it!” Suguro snaps at me. 

“Don’t cut off your father so nonchalantly!” I yell back at him.

“I don’t want to be told that by  _ you _ !” Suguro counters. “Not by you, the one who said she’d defeat Satan!” I’m rather taken aback, surprised that he went there. Yes, I know Satan is my father. But it’s because of him that the father I grew up with, the one I actually know and love, is hurt. 

“Now, now, Rin, Ryuuji,” interjects Mr. Suguro, “let’s just kiss and make up, okay?” At least we can mutually agree not to listen to him. 

“You can just go wherever you like,” Suguro growls at his father. “Don’t you dare come back!”

I’m actually trembling, in my anger. “And I actually thought you were a pretty cool guy…” I whisper. “How bloody wrong I was!” I scream, and explode into blue flames. This time, it’s much more obvious. 

“Wha…? What’s going on?!” someone in the crowd exclaims. 

“Stop it, Rin!” Shura shouts, shoving her way past people to get to me. 

It’s no use. I am now an angry half-demon, and I’ve started charging at Suguro. He utters a quick incantation to put up two small barriers in front of him. But I smash right through them, easily destroying them in an instant. 

“I didn’t frickin’ choose to be the daughter of Satan!” I yell, grabbing his collar. “But you’re different! Aren’t you?!” I just barely have time to register the look of surprise and realization in his eyes before someone intervenes. 

“Bon!” Juuzo yells, jumping in between us and forcing me back. 

“Juuzo!”

“Sorry for butting in! Anyway, for now, please run away!” Juuzo insists. 

But by now Shura has separated herself from the crowd, and is chanting something. I don’t know what it is, but the instant she pauses, it has an immediate effect on me. Or, rather, my tail. I gasp in surprise when I feel something wrong with the ring around the base of my tail, then my vision goes white because I’m in so much pain. In the distance, I can hear a woman screaming. I think it’s me. When my vision comes back, I’m on my knees, one hand in front of me on the ground and the other behind me clutching at the base of my tail. Shura has done something to my poor, sensitive tail. 

“Rin!” I hear Suguro cry out in concern, possibly to try to help me, but Shura isn’t done with me. She continues her chant, and I gasp in agony as yet another twinge, though not nearly as bad as the first, hits my tail. It’s this stupid metal ring… 

Shura kneels down beside me. “Rin,” she murmurs calmly. “Rin, did you forget the conditions that were set at the discipline trial?” She doesn’t let me answer that question. I can’t speak, anyway. I’m too busy panting and sweating from going through so much pain. And since it’s my sensitive demon tail, it’s far worse than if it were any other part of my body. “The next time you let out your flames and go wild, you’ll be executed as a target that needs exorcising. Calm down!”

I turn my head to glare at her. “This is… important. Don’t get in my way!” I growl in a low tone. 

Shura doesn’t give any warning before finishing her chant. This time, the pain is worse than both of the previous times combined. I let loose another, final scream.

The last thing I hear before the darkness takes away my consciousness is Kuro’s voice, crying out my name in my head.

Ryuuji POV:

“I didn’t frickin’ choose to be the daughter of Satan!” Rin yells, grabbing my collar. “But you’re different! Aren’t you?!” 

I didn’t expect Rin to just jump in the way she did, barefoot, in her shorts and crop top, her tail swishing back and forth angrily. 

“Bon!” Juuzo yells, jumping in between us and forcing Rin back. 

“Juuzo!”

“Sorry for butting in! Anyway, for now, please run away!” Juuzo insists.  _ But Rin wasn’t going to hurt me,  _ I realize.  _ She just wanted to talk… She was trying to get me to see something… she meant no harm…  _

But by now Ms. Kirigakure has separated herself from the crowd, and is chanting something. I don’t know what it is, but the instant she stops, it has an immediate effect on Rin. Rin’s eyes widen as she gasps in surprise, then she screams in pain.  _ No, not pain. Agony.  _ She falls to her knees, one hand on the ground and the other clutching at a spot on her lower back. Her tail. Ms. Kirigakure has done something to Rin’s tail. 

“Rin!” I take a step forward, to try to help her, but Ms. Kirigakure isn’t done yet. She continues her chant, and Rin gasps in pain. It must be that gold ring around the base of her tail… I didn’t even notice it until now. 

Ms. Kirigakure kneels down beside Rin and whispers something to her. Rin glares at Ms. Kirigakure as she replies. I don’t hear what she says, but afterwards, Ms. Kirigakure finishes her chant, for good this time, and Rin screams worse than ever before. Then she falls over sideways to the ground, unconscious. She’s curled up in a most vulnerable position, making her look as helpless as a kitten. Rin’s familiar slowly approaches her and gently presses her cheek with his paw, testing to make sure she’s just passed out. He seems more than a little distressed at her sudden collapse.

“Little fool…” Ms. Kirigakure mutters as she looks at Rin, shaking her head. “Hey! Somebody!” she calls into the crowd. “Help me quarantine this girl, will you? She’s already passed out. It’s safe.”

“Captain Kirigakure!” Yaozo, who has also shown up, coughs. 

“Branch chief! Sorry for causing such a ruckus here!” Ms. Kirigakure apologizes sheepishly. 

“You do have an explanation for the events that transpired, don’t you?” Yaozo asks expectantly. 

“Yes, of course!”

“Good. Come, Juuzo.”

“Wha… Please hold on,” protests Juuzo as he follows his father. “Those flames were…!”

“Juuzo,” interrupts Yaozo. “Right now, the thing we should be prioritizing is finding the whereabouts of the Right Eye.”

“Ms. Kirigakure,” says Dad, “you’re Rin’s guardian, correct?”

“Hm?”

“Please take care of Rin,” he requests, grinning while shamelessly groping her backside.  _ He’s such an embarrassment of a father!  _ I think in irritation. 

“Hey!” Ms. Kirigakure yells, kicking my dad away from her. 

Then she receives a call, and she pulls her cell phone from the seal on her chest. Meanwhile, I head back to the inn. I won’t stay here a minute longer. I refuse to be in the same room as my dad. 

“What happened?”

I’m sitting in the kitchen with Shima, Moriyama, Kamiki, and Konekomaru. Shima and Koneko found me on my way back, and immediately dragged me inside so they could get an ice pack for my cheek, which was starting to bruise from Rin’s punch. 

There’s no beating around the bush. “The Right Eye was taken from the branch office,” I explain grimly. 

“No way…” says Kamiki in disbelief. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”

“And,” I continue, “Rin has been detained.”  _ Just for trying to help me.  _ For me, this is even worse than the eye being stolen. 

“Eh?!”

“Detained?!”

“She let out her flames and all the people at the branch office saw it,” I tell them. 

“Then what’s going to happen to Rin?” Koneko asks, distraught. 

“I don’t know,” I admit. “She’s out cold now thanks to some move Ms. Kirigakure pulled on her, and she’s locked up in a cell in the branch office.”

“Um,” says Shima nervously, “that means that Rin’s in quite a spot, no?”

“Rin…” says Moriyama sadly. 

I think I know how she feels. I want to get Rin back too, and apologize for everything. But I don’t know what to do for her right now. 

  
  


Rin POV:

I wake up surrounded by wood. Wood floor, wood walls, and wooden bars. On one side of the bars, I’m lying on the hard, uncomfortable, wooden floor. On the other side of the bars is Shura. 

“Have you cooled down yet?” she asks, hands on her hips. 

“Shura…” I manage to groan.

“Your body okay?”

I push myself up onto my hands and knees, but that’s all I can do. “I don’t feel much strength in me, but I can still move, somehow…”

“Then can you read this?” Shura pokes an envelope through the bars of my cell. 

“What, a letter?” I ask, taking it. 

“Suguro’s father asked me to pass this to you just now,” she explains. 

“Why’d he write to me?”

“I don’t know. Just read it.”

So I open the envelope, pull out the letter, unfold it, and stare at it.  _ What is this…?  _ “I can’t read it.”

“Huh?!” Shura demands. She grabs the letter back from me. “Geez, I thought you were at least smart enough to be literate!” But when she looks at it, her eyes go wide. “No way! Even  _ I _ can’t read it!”

“Pot calling the kettle black!”

The letter is swiped from Shura’s hands by a newcomer. It’s Yukio.  _ I never thought I’d miss that four-eyed mole-face,  _ I think as he too examines the letter. 

“It’s in cursive,” he tells us. “I can kinda read it.”

“In that case, translate for us, will you, Yukio?” Shura asks. “This letter most likely has something to do with the situation we’re in. Let’s hear what he has to say to Rin.”

“Well, here goes. ‘Greetings,’” my brother reads. “‘Pleased to make your acquaintance, Rin Okumura. My name is Tatsuma Suguro and I am a monk living in Kyoto. As for why I am writing this letter to you, that is because I have a very important request to make of you. However, I understand that you must be confused at receiving a letter like this from a stranger. So let me begin with a story from the past. I don’t have a way with words, so forgive me if my story jumps around from place to place. This is a story about the time a little before your birth. I was still young then. I could do nothing but watch as my pregnant wife fell ill and grew weaker by the day. I was at my wits’ end.’”

From there, Tatsuma Suguro tells a story so vivid that I can imagine it as my brother translates.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio reads Tatsuma’s letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I decided to do a double update today. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Rin POV

_ “Torako!” Tatsuma cried desperately as he held his wife’s hand.  _

_ “Tatsuma…” Torako whispered, smiling so as not to worry him too much. “This child and I are fine. Go back to work, won’t you?” _

_ “Tatsuma,” said Yaozo, poking his head in. “The Most High Priest is calling for you.” _

_ Reluctantly, Tatsuma left his wife’s side and met up with his father, the current Most High Priest.  _

_ “Tatsuma,” said the Most High Priest angrily. “What are you doing?! Don’t you be skiving on your daily duties! Isn’t it your job to protect everyone from the impurity of the Right Eye?! If you miss out on even a day of conversing with Buddha, Buddha will turn his back on you! Power will leave you!” _

_ “I haven’t been skiving!” Tatsuma protested. “I’ve been doing this daily for seven years! And yet nothing good has come of it! Instead, 15 people have died! Torako’s practically at death’s door! If we do it like this, can those kids and such… can everyone really be saved by us performing the Goma ritual?!” _

_ “Apart from performing the Goma ritual, what else can we do?!” the Most High Priest countered. “Following the priceless teachings of our ancestry is the most ideal…” He stopped talking as he began coughing.  _

_ “Most High Priest!” _

“‘My father,’” Yukio reads, “‘persisted in seeing all his religious duties in the Myou Dha sect to the end, even after my mother died and he himself fell ill.’”

_ “That’s all I have to say,” said the Most High Priest. “I will return to my duties. The duties that you, too, will someday take over. When I die, you will discover the secrets of this temple, and you, too, will keep these secrets with you until the day you die. If Torako dies, get yourself a healthier wife. Producing an heir is also an important duty you must fulfill, is it not? Enter a state of mushin. Cast aside all that is of this world.” _

“‘Powerless, all I could think was, “That’s right.” I was born the seventeenth successor of the Myou Dha sect’s lineage of Most High Priests. All our followers worked hard to fulfill their duties every day, all for the sake of protecting those of us of the lineage of Most High Priests. So I too ought to fulfill my duties, all in a state of mushin. That’s what it means to protect Myou Dha. No, to protect even Torako and my child. That’s what I thought to myself. Just then, from the sky…’”

_ A winged demon came crashing down, and with it, the white-haired man who had just finished slaying it. He carried a large gun, shooting as they landed, which finished the job.  _

_ Meanwhile, the priests on the ground were panicking.  _

_ “What’s that?!” _

_ “Protect Tatsuma!” _

_ “What just happened?” Tatsuma whispered. “The homa mandala was…” _

_ “Tch! Ow…” groaned the man who had fallen from the sky. Suddenly a long wooden box hit Tatsuma in the head, and he toppled over backwards. The other priests did not take this well. But it’s not like the white-haired man cared. He was too busy complaining. “Geez, what’s up with this mountain?! It’s frickin’ overflowing with monsters! That dumb Mephisto! He just left out whatever the heck he wanted… I frickin’ came in my super lightweight garb!” _

_ “Who are you…?” Tatsuma asked.  _

_ “You jerk!” Yaozo shouted. “You’ve got some nerve to come crashing in on a ritual! Get off that thing!” _

_ “Hm? Oh, that’s right, that’s right,” said the man, stooping to pick up the long object at his feet, the one previously in the box that hit Tatsuma. “This is it.” _

_ “That’s…!” _

_ “A Koma sword, was it?” the man asked. He slung it over his shoulder. “Well, I’ll be taking it.” _

_ “Wha…?!” Tatsuma protested. “What are you talking about?! That’s Myou Dha’s honzon!” _

“‘That was the worst possible first meeting I could have had with Shiro Fujimoto, the man who raised you as your father.’ To think that Dad and Suguro’s father actually had contact with each other,” comments Yukio. “Furthermore, the Koma sword…!”

“It actually belonged to Suguro’s family,” I finish, almost guiltily. Dad obviously stole it from here. I haven’t even heard the whole story, and I already know the ending. I wouldn’t have my demon heart sealed inside it if Dad didn’t succeed in stealing it.

“Never mind that,” Shura urges impatiently, “carry on! Hurry!”

So Yukio continues. “‘The Koma sword. A sword that has been passed down as the honzon of the Myou Dha sect. Its other name is Kurikara. Around 150 years ago, a demon called the Impure King, who brought with him an epidemic, appeared. He turned all of Japan upside down. The founder of Myou Dha, Fukaku, infused the fire demon, Karura, into this sword. It is said that he felled the Impure King with the power of those flames. Following this, the sword was regarded as the honzon of the Myou Dha sect, generation after generation. And it was made an important law that the remaining Left Eye would be kept sealed and far away from this world. As if to make a mockery of all these things, he appeared before my eyes.’”

_ “Wha…?!” Tatsuma protested. “What are you talking about?! That’s Myou Dha’s honzon!” _

_ “You’re so noisy,” said the intruder in annoyance. “Of course I know that, Baldie. And anyway, this is just empty on the inside to begin with, isn’t it?” _

_ “I’m not getting a word you’re saying!” Yaozo shouted angrily. “You’re spouting nonsense! How long are you planning on holding on to our honzon, wretched enemy?!” He sprung forward and attacked the man.  _

_ “Yaozo!” Tatsuma protested, but to no avail.  _

_ Yaozo struck, and the man toppled easily backward into the snow. He was already badly injured.  _

_ With a groan, the white-haired man woke up. The Myou Dha priests had carried him to safety, at Tatsuma’s request. Only Tatsuma was with him now.  _

_ “You awake?” Tatsuma asked as the man opened his eyes. “‘True Cross Order, Japan Branch, upper first class exorcist, Shiro Fujimoto,’” he read off the ID card that they’d found in Shiro’s clothes. “You’re 34, which makes you younger than me, huh…?” _

_ “Where am I…?” Shiro asked groggily.  _

_ “Kongo Shinzan, Fudoubuji. You suddenly collapsed on me. No way I could just leave you like that, so I brought you here.” _

_ “Are you for real?” Shiro asked incredulously as he rummaged around in his jacket, before pulling out a cigarette. “You could have sent me rolling down the mountain instead. You’re way too kind. Give me a light, won’t you?” He put the cigarette between his lips. But Tatsuma would not let the conversation chance so easily. He grabbed the end of the cigarette and bent it upward. “Hey!” Shiro protested.  _

_ “More importantly, Fujimoto,” said Tatsuma, scowling, “Just how much do you know about our honzon… about Kurikara? Why do you want Kurikara?!” _

_ “Beats me,” said Shiro, shrugging and trying to bend his cigarette back to its straightened state. “I’m just here because I was ordered to by my superiors. All I know is they’ll be killing some kid with it.” _

_ Tatsuma was shocked. After all, Shiro said the words ‘killing some kid’ with such a straight face. Tatsuma stood. “If you can move, then please leave as soon as possible.” He turned away to leave. “I don’t care what circumstances there are. I will not care for a child-killing heretic.” _

_ “Yeah, I’ll leave,” agreed Shiro. “But you’ve got to hand over the Koma sword first.” _

_ “You haven’t given up on that yet?! I don’t even know where exactly in this fudoubuji it is, do I?!” _

_ “Sounds good on paper to just obliterate each temple in turn, no?” Shiro asked, smirking as he put on his glasses. “But gee, I don’t have the time for that, you know? It’d be faster if I just asked you instead. Hey, where is the sword?” _

_ “Tch!” Tatsuma pulled a tokkosho, a pestle with a single sharp blade at each end, from his robes.  _

_ “Haha, what’s with that? You plan to take me on with just that tokkosho?” Shiro taunted. “Give it up.” Then he doubled over, coughing. In his confusion, Tatsuma hesitated, and Shiro used the opportunity to bolt out the door.  _

_ “Hey!” Tatsuma protested. “Hold it!” He started chasing Shiro. “Where are you going?!” Shiro skidded to a stop in front of a door, and Tatsuma panicked. “That’s…! Stop!” _

_ Too late, Shiro threw the door open, revealing all the sick and injured people, affected by miasma. He swept his eyes around the room. “What… is this?” Shiro said in utter disbelief. Then he saw the men praying. “Stop it!” he shouted, dashing forward and kicking the altar over sideways.  _

_ “Uwah!” _

_ “What did you just do?!” _

_ “Shut up and stop it with this farce this instant!” Shiro shouted.  _

_ “Hey!” Tatsuma shouted, grabbing the back of Shiro’s clothes. “Do you know what you just did?! If you stop our conversation with Buddha, Buddha will abandon us, and we won’t be able to attain his power!” _

_ “Then let me ask you, did praying ever do these guys any good?!” Shiro demanded. The shock on Tatsuma’s face was enough to tell him that all the praying didn’t help at all. “Hah. You’re just a coward masquerading as a saint. I hate people like you the most! Now is not the time for things like prayer. We need to get the toxins from the miasma out of their bodies as soon as we can.” _

_ “You… you can save them?!” _

_ “Yeah. I can save them all… probably.” He turned to some nearby people. “Hey! You! Get me some radish, spring onion, valerian, calamus, rock salt, and Japanese hot claw! Oh, and some Vaseline, beeswax, or lard,” he ordered.  _

_ “Eh?! Excuse me?!” _

_ “You’re really going to save them…?!” Tatsuma asked.  _

_ “How many times do I have to say it?!” Shiro demanded. “You, boil me a truckload of hot water! And get me a light while you’re at it!” _

_ As Shiro Fujimoto began saving lives, Tatsuma wondered just what exactly they had been believing this whole time. Shiro even managed to save Torako, Tatsuma’s pregnant wife, without praying to Buddha.  _

_ Tatsuma was ecstatic, and profusely thankful to Shiro since now Torako could give birth to their child.  _

_ “Thank you, Fujimoto,” said Tatsuma gratefully. “When you said you were here to take the sword, I was sure you had to be a bandit or something. But I was wrong.” _

_ “Huh?!” Shiro said, confused. “This and that are entirely separate matters. Hand over the sword.” _

_ “Eh?!” Tatsuma said, shocked.  _

_ “I mean, I saved so many sick people! I even taught you how to treat them! It’s only natural that I’d ask for some compensation, no?” _

_ Angrily, Tatsuma dragged Shiro outside. “I thought you were being a good samaritan!” _

_ “I really hate people like you the most… I’m not a good samaritan. If you won’t tell me, I’ll just find it myself. You’ll never be able to move forward if you’re afraid of soiling your hands.” _

_ Just then, as Shiro was about to go exploring to find the Koma sword, someone else showed up. “Most High Priest…?” asked a surprised Tatsuma.  _

_ “That’s the guy,” said one of the men with him, pointing an accusing finger at Shiro.  _

_ “Seize him!” the Most High Priest ordered. Immediately, two Hojo men summoned snakes to detain Shiro.  _

_ “What are you…?!” Tatsuma said, shocked.  _

_ “Tch!” Shiro started running in the other direction.  _

_ “He got away! After him!” the Most High Priest shouted. “Don’t let that thief get off this mountain alive!” _

_ “Most High Priest!” Tatsuma protested. “What are you doing?! That man is…” _

_ “Tatsuma! Don’t expect this mistake to go unpunished!” the Most High Priest snapped. “He’s an exorcist from the True Cross Order?! How could you bring a pagan like him into the temple and allow him to cast his spells here?!” _

_ “No! Most High Priest, he’s a lifesaver! He saved everyone… he saved Torako and the baby!” _

_ “I don’t care about that! Any outsider who knows about the Koma sword and even a little of our Myou Dha sect’s secrets must die! I bear on my shoulders the responsibility of protecting Myou Dha!” _

_ “Most High Priest, what you’re protecting are merely the laws. I… I’m different.” Tatsuma turned, and walked away.  _

_ “Tatsuma, where are you going?!” _

_ Shiro was being chased by the Most High Priest’s men when Tatsuma jumped out in front of him.  _

_ “Tatsuma!” he said in surprise.  _

_ “Take it,” said Tatsuma, throwing a long object wrapped in red cloth at him. Shiro caught it, and recognized it.  _

_ “The Koma sword…?!” _

_ “I’ll help you escape. Follow me.” He began to lead Shiro away.  _

_ “Wait a second! What are you trying to pull? You sure this is okay?!” _

_ “It’ll be fine,” said Tatsuma. “When I was a child, I once secretly unsheathed the sword,” he admitted. “I wanted to see Karura, you know? Neither Karura nor any flames appeared at all. That sword was empty. I knew it all along, and yet… I’ve stopped worshiping an empty shell, and I’ve finally found the resolve in me to fight. It was all thanks to you!” He grinned at Shiro.  _

_ Shiro smirked. “I’m going to kill some kids now, you know?” _

_ “That’s okay. You’d never do it. I know it.” _

_ “Hmph. You’re really a hopelessly good guy,” grumbled Shiro, but he sounded grateful. _

_ From behind them, voices could be heard. “The pursuers voices!” Tatsuma exclaimed in alarm. “Run away now! This makes us even!” _

_ “Nope,” Shiro disagreed, grinning. “This makes us friends!” He jumped off the cliff just as the pursuers reached them.  _

_ “Over there!” Tatsuma shouted. “That’s a crazy height to jump from!” His best bet was to act as though he too had been pursuing Shiro.  _

_ “He’s down below! Surround him!” _

“‘The story of Fujimoto and myself ends here. A few months later, the Blue Night happened. Father died after leaving me the true secrets of the head priests and of Myou Dha. That secret was truly frightening. In the middle of the Blue Night, I succeeded as the head priest of the Myou Dha sect and came to know all its secrets. Please. Please, Rin Okumura. I want you to use the Koma sword to defeat the Impure King. I know full well that this is an unreasonable and reckless wish. But if you can find in yourself so tiny a heart of compassion like your father’s, I want to depend on that. Thank you for reading this far. Tatsuma Suguro.’” Yukio stops speaking when the letter ends. 

Shura starts chuckling darkly. “Just as ludicrous as I expected,” she says, gritting her teeth. 

“However,” says Yukio, “I do feel bad for Suguro’s father. But whether or not my sister’s flames will be effective against the Impure King is still up in the air. We can’t let her use the sword for something as uncertain as this. Hey!” Shura just snatched the letter from his hand. 

“Rin,” she tells me. “This letter is addressed to you. What do you want to do?”

“I…” I know what I want to do. But Yukio interrupts me. 

“Shura! What do you think you’re doing, asking something like that?!” he shouts, aggravated. 

“I want to help him,” I say firmly, before Yukio can corrupt us any more with his sound logic. 

“Sister! Do you understand what position you’re in right now?!”

“I owe my life to Dad too! That’s why, if I can be of any help whatsoever, I want to fight! But of course, that’s ultimately my own wish!”

“In that case, I reject that wish,” says Yukio bitterly. 

“Alright, I’ve got it,” says Shura, pulling my sword from her chest. 

“Shura, What are you doing?!” Yukio demands. 

“If she says she’s going to fight, I can’t let her until I understand the situation fully, right?” she asks. “So I’ll have her give unsheathing it a try right here, right now.”

“Shura!” Yukio protests, grabbing the sword before she can pass it to me through the bars. “You can’t seriously be considering letting my sister wield the Koma sword when just a while ago she had let out her flames and gone on a rampage! If anything happens this time, there’s no doubt that she’ll be executed!”

“Umm…” Shura hums grimly. “The Vatican was already notified the moment I chanted the imprisonment spell. She’s already in a situation where she can be convicted and executed at any time. It’s too late to be getting scared now. Okay? If the Impure King has already been revived, then there’s an entity far more dangerous than Rin out there. Besides, you’ve seen it before, haven’t you? This girl’s flames have proved effective against demons.” She wrenches the sword from Yukio’s hands and passes it through the bars. “It’s worth a try! Rin, try unsheathing it!”

So I take the sword, grab it by the sheath and hilt in each hand, respectively, and begin pulling them apart. But then, in surprise, I stop. Because it’s not budging. I try again, pulling harder this time.

“Sister, what are you doing…?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t get it,” I reluctantly admit. “I can’t do it.”

“Eh? What’s up with that?” Shura wonders. 

“I don’t know! For some reason, I just can’t unsheathe it at all!”

“In that case, I’ll do it for you,” offers Shura. “Hand it over.”

“No!” I insist. “I can do it on my own! It probably just got caught somewhere. That’s got to be it!” I try again, but to no effect. 

“Sister…?”

“I see,” says Shura, finally understanding. “Rin… you’re scared, aren’t you?”  _ Wha…? Scared?  _ “Well, that’s a given, right? Just a little while ago, you were finally able to manipulate your flames properly. And barely an hour later, in the blink of an eye, you were back at square one. That’s how you felt, right? You once again lost yourself, let loose your flames, and went on a rampage. ‘If I unsheathe this sword now, what will happen to me?’ ‘I might forget myself again.’ ‘I might actually hurt someone this time.’ I’ve hit the bullseye, haven’t I? You’ve completely lost confidence in yourself.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin is sentenced to death and her friends rescue her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here’s the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Rin POV

“You’ve completely lost confidence in yourself.”

The worst part is, I think Shura’s right. She explained it all perfectly. I got it right, and was finally able to gain control of my flames, and then I lost that control. And all of this was because I didn’t want Suguro to lose his dad like I almost lost mine. Not that I blame Suguro, of course, even though he  _ was  _ being a jerk back there. But he was acting just like I did that day, and I didn’t want him to go through the same pain I did. My dad was lucky enough to just be in a coma for three months, and I can’t imagine what would have happened if he’d actually died. Things might have been a lot worse. 

“Big sister,” Yukio tells me, “that’s enough. Hand over the sword.”

But I don’t get the chance to. Suddenly, and I don’t see where he even comes from, Mephisto appears in his signature puff of smoke. 

“Mephisto?!” I exclaim in surprise. 

“Mephisto, what are you doing here?” Shura asks suspiciously. 

“What an impolite way of speaking,” pouts Mephisto. “Having to reappear through that small grid… the great me is unhappy about this.”  _ What’s so great about Mephisto? The amount of annoyance he causes others?  _ “Geez, at least  _ some _ people are kind enough to help you clear up the mess. Eins, zwei, drei!” At a snap of his fingers, a new door appears on my cell. This one is not normal. It looks like it’s made of mechanical parts, and there’s something about it that looks like a face. The door opens inward, into my cell, and a three-pronged claw extends toward me.  _ Not good.  _ I shriek in both surprise and fear when it grabs me around the middle. The Koma sword leaves my hand and flies into Mephisto’s. “The Vatican sent me a message just now,” he smirks, “because an imprisonment spell was used. So according to the votes from the church inspection committee, it’s been decided that Rin Okumura will be executed.”

_ Executed?! _ I think in shock, speechless.

“Wait… Wait a minute…” protests Shura. 

And that’s all I hear before I’m dragged into the depths of the infinite universe beyond the metal door. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

“The office has called an emergency meeting!” someone outside yells. 

“Those who can still move, hurry to the office!”

“Yes, sir!”

“It’s very noisy outside,” comments Shima, peering out the door. 

“Has something happened?” Koneko asks. 

Outside, the voices continue. “Was Mamushi really caught?”

“Yeah. Juuzo is currently bringing her back.”

_ Mamushi…  _ I can’t stay here like this. Tossing aside the ice I’ve been keeping on my face, I stride out of the kitchen. I need to get back to the Branch Office. 

“Bon! Where are you going?!” Koneko cries out. 

But if they want to know, everyone is going to have to follow me. Which, based on the sound of their footsteps, they do. 

“I’m sorry. I’ve betrayed everyone,” Mamushi is apologizing remorsefully as I, followed by Shima, Koneko, Moriyama, and Kamiki, enter the office. Mamushi’s back is to us. “But I would like everyone to listen carefully to what I have to say. Just now, Saburota Todou and I used the Right Eye and Left Eye that were stolen to revive the Impure King!”

“Impure King?! What did you say?!”

“Wasn’t the demon — the Impure King — defeated during the Edo period? Unless you’re saying that it faked its death, and was sealed under the mountain!”

“Shut up!” Juuzo shouts. 

“Now the priest of the cursed temple,” continues Mamushi, “Tatsuma Suguro, is fighting alone! Please send help to defeat the Impure King!” She’s already kneeling on the ground, but she bows her head even lower than it already is, humbly begging for assistance even though it was partially her fault. But it’s clear she wants to amend her mistake. 

Objections rise at her audacity, but Yaozo ends that by ordering all exorcists to suppress the Impure King immediately. 

As everyone else disperses, I approach Mamushi and Juuzo. “Mamushi!” I call out. She turns around, and sees me. But I’m more surprised at her appearance than she is at my presence. 

“Ryuuji!”

“Mamushi… your right eye…” It’s completely gone, replaced by a bloody, empty socket. 

“I’m sorry,” she sobs. “Hurry up and save the priest!” she begs. 

“Bon,” says Juuzo gently. “I’ll bring her to the medical room. I will regroup with the first squad later. Bon, please wait at the inn with the other Academy students. Renzo! Koneko! Protect the young master! If anything happens to him, I won’t let you off easy!”

Juuzo leaves with Mamushi in his arms, and the five of us are left alone. “Alright,” says Shima. “Juuzo has said so already, so we’d better return to the inn.” He doesn’t want to get in trouble with his brother. 

“Hey, here you are! I’ve found you guys! Come over here for a sec,” Ms. Kirigakure greets us, practically appearing out of nowhere. In surprise, we approach her, and she doesn’t waste a breath with her explanation. “Because of the fire incident that happened a little while ago, Rin has been given a death sentence,” she says. My eyes widen, and Moriyama gasps in horror.  _ A death sentence?!  _ “This is the Vatican’s decision. We cannot defy it. And…” she holds out one of the objects she’s carrying toward me. “Suguro, please take care of this!”

I find myself reaching out and taking it, staring at it in a daze. “Kurikara…”  _ This sword… It has been a part of this temple for generations, and is now somehow in the possession of Rin Okumura. It also contains her demonic flames, activating her power when it is unsheathed.  _

“And this is the letter that your father gave Rin,” continues Ms. Kirigakure, passing me an opened envelope containing a letter. “It is written inside that to defeat the Impure King, Rin’s power is needed. That girl really wishes to contribute. You will save Rin, right? The only way to reverse Rin’s death sentence is to let her redeem herself by doing good. Wear these camouflage ponchos.” She dumps the pile of cloth she’s been carrying onto the ground. “You can at least sneak into the solitary prison cell.” After that, she leaves, being called away by someone else. 

I stand there, holding Kurikara and the letter, and still in a state of disbelief about Rin’s death sentence. 

We open the letter and read it quickly, absorbing the history of my father and Shiro Fujimoto’s first meeting, and the request for Rin’s help. 

Once we’re all done reading, I pull on one of the camouflage ponchos. I already made up my mind to save Rin, even before I read the letter my dad wrote her. “I think the solitary confinement area is this way,” I tell the others as I finish tugging the poncho into place. I don’t care if no one else follows me. I  _ will _ save Rin, with or without anyone else’s help. 

“That hurts!” Shima’s quiet protest rings out in the air. But it was not quiet enough. 

“What did you say just now?” one guard asks the other. 

“I didn’t say anything. Wasn’t it you?”

“I didn’t say anything either. It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Nonsense!”

But they don’t question it any further, and once we’re far enough away, Moriyama breathes a sigh of relief. “That was so close…” she whispers nervously. 

“It’s all Koneko’s fault for stepping on my foot!” Shima accuses. 

“Bear with it, Shima…” Koneko encourages him tiredly. 

“This poncho is amazing,” comments Kamiki. “Unfortunately, it’s troublesome that we can’t see each other.”

“Shh!” I shush everyone. “It should be just ahead.”

As we get closer, it’s obvious which door is Rin’s. Not because it’s on fire or anything, but because it’s… different. Made up of metal and mechanical parts, rather than the vertical bars of wood that usually make up the doors of the cells. “Is that the door…?”

Suddenly, the door starts laughing. Upon closer inspection, I see that it has something resembling a face. “Nihihihihi! I am the strongest door!” it introduces itself proudly. “Unable to be unlocked from the inside but easy to be unlocked from the outside! So now, questions!”

“Which type is it?” Shima murmurs. 

“Devil,” Kamiki replies. 

The door pays no heed to my classmates’ words. “Why do I say I’m the strongest door?! As a test, come and challenge me! Nihihihi!”

In response, we all instantly arm ourselves. “Tch!” I say in irritation. This obstacle will be troublesome, but if getting through it gets us to Rin… “So a battle can’t be avoided, huh…?!”

And then suddenly I can’t move. I can feel my eyes narrowed into a permanent scowl, my teeth gritted together in an immovable grimace. Somehow, I doubt anyone else is doing much better than I am. “Nihihihi! The correct answer is that I am able to cease all movements of enemies near me! That is how my name came about! Nihihihi!”

“No way!” gasps a shocked voice behind us.  _ Moriyama? _ “Then why am I the only one who is fine…?”

“Because you are not the enemy! You’re weak, and you have no weapons! Nihihihi!”

She approaches the door. “But… this door can be opened from the outside?”

“Of course it can,” the door replies. “But  _ she  _ can’t come out! Nihihihi!”

Even so, Moriyama reaches out, opens the door, and goes in. 

  
  


Rin POV:

There’s no sun, no sky, and the ground is entirely made up of metal pieces, parts of clocks and metal machinery that have long since died of old age and then been scrapped. Surprisingly, though, despite the lack of sun, it’s completely light in here, and I’m not cold, even being dressed as I am. I’m still wearing the crop top and little black shorts, and I’m still barefoot. This isn’t the most comfortable terrain to be walking around with my bare feet, but I can manage. 

What’s really irritating, though, is that I can’t find an exit. “What is this place…?” I wonder aloud. In frustration, I kick a metal gear, sending it several meters away. “How can I die in such a place?!” Then I sigh, hanging my head and letting my tail droop a little. They’re going to kill me anyway. “How could I even die…?”  _ Is that really the way…? I should really honestly be punished by the Knights… or I can also choose to kill myself. Go and die? I always thought that I was finally saved. But actually, I… Should I have been dead from the start…?  _ If my dad had actually succeeded in using Kurikara to kill me when I was a baby, none of this would have happened.  _ To die without doing anything… In the end I couldn’t reconcile with my family, not really. What am I living for…?  _ I find myself on my knees. “Dad, why did you…”  _ Why did you not kill me all those years ago?  _ “Tell me…” But the only way he’ll tell me why is if I go visit him in the hospital. And that’s about a 200 kilometer journey. 

“Rin!” At the unexpected sound of my name, I look up, and see  _ her  _ running towards me. 

“Shiemi…”

“Rin! I’m here to save you!” Shiemi announces when she’s close enough. “I’ve heard everything from Ms. Kirigakure. She said you want to help! So we came here to save you! Let’s hurry up and get you out of here!” 

She steps forward, but, for her own safety, I don’t want her near me. “Stay back!” I yell. “Don’t come any closer!”

“Why…?”

“I… I have no confidence in controlling my flames,” I tell her solemnly. “Until today, I thought that I could rely on my momentum to solve everything. But it seems like it’s impossible. Maybe I should just die like this.” I truly believe that. With me gone, everyone’s burden would be lessened. Is there even  _ anyone _ who needs me alive? 

“What are you talking about?!” Shiemi cries. “You are never allowed to say this kind of thing again!”

I look up at her, smiling sadly. “You don’t understand. You don’t need to.”

“Stop it! Don’t smile at me while chasing me away! I want to help you, Rin!”

That sets me over the edge. “Enough!” I scream at her. “Get away! I’m a monster!” I use my flames to create a perimeter around me, to keep Shiemi at a distance. “This…” Stinging tears well up in my eyes, threatening to fall down my cheeks. “Being like this…” I manage to look away from her just as the tears flow from my eyes. I can’t bear to look at her. 

But a few seconds later, despite the flames, I feel her arms encircling me in a hug. “Rin…” 

My mind’s running at a million miles a minute while my body heats up (and not because of my flames), trying to figure out why she’s doing this, why she doesn’t hate me anymore, why she isn’t scared of a monster like me. I can come up with no plausible explanation. “Idiot…” I mutter. “This is dangerous…”

“Never mind that,” she says kindly. Then she pulls away and smiles, her hands still on my shoulders. “See? I didn’t get burned! That’s because you made it so, Rin. So it’s okay!”

_ It’s okay?!  _ I scramble backwards, away from her. Miraculously, I don’t trip over my tail. “Wait, wait! Aren’t you afraid of me?!”

“Nope!”

_ Huh? _ “Really?” 

“Yep!” The look in her eyes tells me she’s definitely not lying.  _ Shiemi…  _

The door, that cursed door to such a barren wasteland, explodes outward in a column of blue flames, and Shiemi and I escape. 

“Rin?!” I hear Renzo’s voice gasp incredulously. 

But I’m even more surprised than he is when I see that everyone, including Koneko, Izumo, and Suguro, has come as well. “ _ Everyone  _ came to save me?!”

“Well, if you died, Rin,” admits Konekomaru, “I think everyone would feel bad. I know that you’re not dangerous. Let’s make up.”

“Konekomaru…” Tears are threatening to appear in my eyes again. 

“I’m only here because of Ms. Kirigakure’s orders,” says Izumo grumpily. 

“And I didn’t have to put in as much effort as I did to save you,” says Renzo, “so you’d better praise me…”

“Everyone… thank you.” I squeeze my eyes shut, stopping the tears of happiness from flowing. Suddenly there’s a long, sturdy pair of arms around me from the front, and I open my eyes to find myself staring at a broad chest. “Suguro?” He’s hugging me. Then there’s another pair of arms from behind, then more from the sides. All five of my classmates are hugging me. “Guys?”

“I wasn’t very calm in dealing with my father,” admits Suguro. “You were right about him.”

“And, I admit,” says Renzo, “we weren’t treating you very well after we found out about the whole Satan thing.”

“No one was taking your feelings about it into consideration,” apologizes Shiemi. “We’re all sorry for that.”

“Although, it was you, in the first place, who treated us like outsiders,” points out Izumo accusingly. 

“I know,” I say remorsefully. “And I’m so sorry. But I was under orders from Mephisto to keep my identity a secret.”

“You’re always carrying such a big burden on your own,” accuses Suguro lightly. “Is it so hard to trust others? We’re your friends, Rin.”

“I know, but the thing is, it  _ is  _ hard for me to trust others,” I admit. “And it’s not you guys, because you’re all such wonderful friends; but it’s my own past. Before this, I didn’t have anyone. I only had Yukio and our dad and the other guys at the monastery. Everyone else, they all called me ‘Demon Rin’ when they had to refer to me. Can you imagine what that’s like? I looked as human as the rest of them, and they still thought of me as a demon. Oh, the irony of  _ that _ nickname didn’t escape me when I found out that I actually  _ am _ what they thought I was. You guys are the only ones who didn’t, only because you didn’t know me before I was… like  _ this _ . An actual demon.” I’ve never opened up to anyone like this before. I have to blink back tears again. “But enough with the sappy stuff, yeah? We’ve got a job to do, right?”

“Yeah,” agrees Konekomaru. 

“And Renzo, I know that’s  _ your  _ hand on my butt, so remove it before  _ I _ do,” I snap. It’s been there ever since everyone else joined in on the hug. Renzo guiltily takes his hand away, and the group hug breaks up. I can feel Suguro glaring at Renzo over my head. 

“Anyway,” says Suguro, taking his eyes off Renzo, and turning them to me, “I think you’ll need this if you’re going to be on the battlefield.” He holds out my sword. 

“Kurikara!” I take it, perhaps a bit too eagerly. But it  _ is _ very important to me, after all. “You were keeping it safe all this time, Suguro?” He nods. “Thank you. I can’t imagine how bad it would be if anything happened to this. It contains my demon heart, after all.”  _ Come to think of it, I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather have holding this than Suguro. Even if I thought he hated me, I think there was a part of me that still trusted him. Not to mention, I still have feelings for him.  _ I mentally sigh.  _ I can’t keep pushing those feelings down. I have to tell him sooner or later, because I have the feeling that he hasn’t given up on me either.  _ Then I notice his bruised face, and vaguely remember that I was the one who did that to him. “Oh… I’m sorry for attacking you earlier…”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get to the mountain, to defeat the Impure King!” Suguro declares. 

“Yeah!” the rest of us enthusiastically answer in unison.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquires head up the mountain, Ryuuji inherits something from his father, and Rin expresses her feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! May the fourth be with you! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

Rin POV

Renzo screams. “What is  _ that _ ?! How are we supposed to defeat something that huge?! Is this the apocalypse?!”

“That’s the Impure King,” deduces Konekomaru grimly. “So as far as we know, it might very well be the apocalypse.”

“It’s practically a fortress on its own…” comments Suguro. 

A ‘fortress’ is right. That demon, the Impure King, is more than just enormous; it’s literally starting to cover the entire mountain. And it’s just continuing to grow this whole time. It’s made of a bubbling white ooze, expanding and reaching out and consuming everything in sight. 

“Alright! We’ll start searching here.”

“Got it.”

“Alright.”

“Roger!”

“Don’t venture too deep into the thicket,” warns Suguro.

Just after my rescue, Suguro got a call from Shura, ordering us to find the Most High Priest, ask him about what he wrote in my letter, and stay away from the Impure King. The third order is getting increasingly harder to obey. 

We’d been searching for a while, when suddenly Izumo raises the alarm. “Wait a sec! Isn’t that the Most High Priest?!”

There’s a body lying face up beneath a tree several meters away. “Dad!” Suguro yells, as we all follow him towards the body. It’s definitely Tatsuma Suguro, alright. But even before we reached him, I could smell the blood. He’s not just sleeping. “No way…” Suguro kneels down beside his father. 

“I’ll contact Ms. Kirigakure!” Koneko volunteers, pulling out his cell phone and dialing the number. 

Suddenly, from Mr. Suguro’s body, a red flame appears. It takes shape, becoming a small, fiery, winged demon. “I am Karura,” it introduces itself, “the servant of the head priest of Myouou Dharani.”  _ Karura? Mr. Suguro wrote about him in his letter. I think he was the original inhabitant of the Koma sword…  _

“Karura?! Dad’s familiar?!” Suguro asks in shock. 

“Formerly so,” says Karura, nodding. “But now that the secret is no longer such, the contract has been annulled. I am now fulfilling the private, individual contract I have with Tatsuma Suguro.”

Right on cue, the man himself coughs and stirs. “Ugh… I…” he mutters. 

“Dad!”

Mr. Suguro opens his eyes, and sees his son and the rest of us. “Ryuuji…! Why are all you children here…?”

“We came to help you,” says Suguro. 

“How reckless,” the older man chides, then he groans in pain. 

“Your wounds may be closed,” says Karura, “but you can’t move just yet, Tatsuma.”

“Is that you, Karura…? You sure have gotten small… I thought we were both dead.”

“I also bear the name of Phoenix. I merely reincarnate every time I die. Besides, I still have the Gouhaen contract with you. I couldn’t let you die just like that.”

Mr. Suguro’s attention is drawn by something else: me. “Rin! Did you come here after reading my letter?”

I nod. “If there’s even the slightest chance I can help you, I will.”

“I read it too,” Suguro admits. “All of us came here with a rough understanding of the situation.”

“Wha?!”

“I’ll have you tell us everything without keeping any secrets to yourself,” demands Suguro. 

“I understand,” says Mr. Suguro. “I will tell you how to defeat the Impure King. According to the ‘Truth of the Impure King’ passed only to the head priests, the Impure King will grow bigger and bigger, as big as a city. Shortly after, a great sporangium will form within it.”

“And that’s the sporangium?” Renzo asks, pointing. “That round thing at the very top of it?”

“Most likely,” Mr. Suguro confirms. “When that sporangium matures and ruptures, it will release toxic spores, a thick miasma. It was also the rupture of this same sporangium that killed those 40,000 people 150 years ago. This time, the death toll in Kyoto probably won’t just be 40,000. We have to prevent that no matter what!”

“That means we have to defeat it before the sporangium ruptures, right?” Suguro asks. 

“Things aren’t that simple,” says Mr. Suguro grimly. “The Impure King’s only known vital spot, it’s heart, lies within the sporangium itself. Fukaku, who fought the Impure King 150 years ago, having fought a tough battle against an unknown monster, had no choice but to split that heart into two and seal it away.”

“And those were its Left and Right Eyes, correct?” Izumo asks. 

“In other words,” says Konekomaru shakily, “we can no longer get at the heart, right?”

“Yes,” confirms Mr. Suguro. 

“How troublesome,” grumbles Suguro. 

“Fifteen years ago,” the priest explains, “I made a contract with Karura over here to borrow Gouhaen. Gouhaen is a technique that takes the years the person has lived and turns them into flames, a great blaze to be let forth at the end of one’s life, incinerating everything. I thought that would be my trump card in defeating the Impure King. However, I used that flame of fifteen years just on stopping the Impure King in its tracks. I don’t have much left… I’m going to use the remaining Gouhaen. I’ll set up a barrier so that the miasma won’t escape even if the sporangium ruptures. Rin, I want you to use the Koma sword to reduce its heart to ashes.”

_ Use Kurikara…? But… right now…  _ “I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I…”

“No. It’s only natural.”  _ Huh?  _ “I’m asking you to put your life on the line here…”

“What? Oh, no…” He’s got it all wrong. “Right now, I can’t unsheathe the sword…”

“Eh?” It’s almost comical how everyone says it in unison. Almost. If only we weren’t in this situation, with much more than 40,000 people likely to die if we fail to defeat this demon. 

“I’ve been trying to unsheathe it, but I just can’t,” I say helplessly, giving the sword another useless tug. It sticks firmly inside its sheath. 

“Huh?!” Suguro demands. 

“I don’t understand it myself, either, but apparently it’s a psychological problem,” I explain. 

“For real?!”

“I’m as worried as you are! But that’s why I can’t be of any help right now. I’m sorry, Mr. Suguro!” I apologize. 

“I see,” says Mr. Suguro, nodding in understanding. “That’s a worry in itself. However, if that’s the case, at the very least, I’ll do what I can and put up the barrier.”

“It’s impossible, Tatsuma,” says Karura. “You’ve lost too much blood.”

“What… Ugh…” the priest groans, doubling over. 

“Most High Priest!”

“Your wounds may have healed but you’re a hair’s breadth away from exsanguination,” says Karura. “If you chant the barrier spell with that body of yours, you will surely die.”

“I just need to hold out for a short while…” insists Mr. Suguro. “My life isn’t the only one hanging in the balance!”

“Konekomaru,” says Suguro, “you still haven’t gotten through to Ms. Kirigakure?”

“All I could get was static,” says Koneko. “The miasma is probably too thick.”

“Dad, isn’t there anything we can do?”

“Hm?” It seems Karura has just taken notice of Suguro for the first time. “Now that you mention it, you’re Tatsuma’s son, aren’t you? That’s just perfect. Gouhaen can be transferred between persons related by blood.”

“No!” Mr. Suguro shouts. “That absolutely will not do! He’s still a child! I definitely will not allow Ryuuji to get dragged into this! I’ll cut these ties of obligation in  _ my _ generation! I swore that with my very life! That alone…” He slows down and stops, tired out. 

“Up until now,” says the son sadly, “you were bearing that cross upon your back, all alone…”

“Haah…” replies the father. “What are you talking about…? I did all that of my own accord.”

“I won’t let you!” Suguro insists. “I’ll bear that cross too! I won’t let you utter any objections while you’re in that state…!”

“Tatsuma… your son is smarter than you are,” comments Karura. 

“That’s the kind of child he is,” admits Tatsuma. “And that’s precisely why I didn’t want to involve him…”

“Well, then, I will now commence the succession of the Gouhaen,” says Karura. “He who is the blood of the current owner, Tatsuma Suguro, show proof of your blood.” Suguro bites his thumb, draws blood, and presents it to Karura. “Indeed,” confirms the demon. “You are of the blood of Tatsuma Suguro.” And then Karura is no longer with Tatsuma. Instead, it is Suguro who is covered in red flames. “Ryuuji Suguro, you have now become the owner of Gouhaen,” announces Karura. 

“Red flames…!” Koneko breathes in awe.

“Ryuuji,” says Tatsuma, “I will teach you the strongest barrier spell, one that is only passed to the head priests. Come here.” He turns his back to the rest of us. “There is even a seal that you have yet to see.” Suguro kneels down next to his father. “Watch closely how I form the seal. Got it? I can only do it once. You have to watch once and remember it all.”

As Tatsuma chants and demonstrates the hand signs, I can’t help but have faith that Suguro can remember whatever his father teaches him. He does have a talent for memorizing things, after all. As soon as Tatsuma shows his son the last step (based on the sense of finality with which he has stopped moving), though, he collapses. 

“Dad!” Suguro yells. But Tatsuma doesn’t respond, only able to breathe heavily. But there’s no time for Suguro to take care of his dad. He needs to get to the sporangium and put up the barrier. “Moriyama, Kamiki, will you stay here with Dad?” he asks. 

“Okay!” Shiemi says willingly. 

“Got it,” replies Izumo. 

“Shima, Konekomaru, please go inform Ms. Kirigakure and everyone in Myou Dha about what transpired just now.”

“What about you, Bon?” Konekomaru asks. 

“I’ll go and set up the barrier. This barrier forms with the point of the shokushi-in as it’s center, so I have to set it up as close to the sporangium as possible.”

“You’re saying that you’re gonna go in there?!” Koneko yelps. “That’s too reckless!”

“Bon,” says Renzo. “I’ve always kept my mouth shut and listened to you since my parents were a pain in the neck. But this time’s different, and I just have to say this. You’re really gonna get yourself killed, you know?”

Not if I’m there, he won’t. “It’s okay,” I tell him, stepping in. “I’ll protect Suguro!”

“Huh?!” Suguro gawks at me. 

“It’s fine, isn’t it?” I give him what I hope is a confident grin. “I can’t unsheathe the Koma sword, but I can use a little of my flames! More importantly, I’m strong!” I look at Koneko. “Leave it to me, alright, Konekomaru?”

He looks a little reluctant to leave his precious Bon to my care, but nods, and runs off without a word. 

“Hold on, Koneko!” Renzo shouts as he chases after him. “Gah! I won’t care if you end up regretting this later!” Then the two of them are gone. 

“I’ll leave Dad to the two of you,” Suguro tells Shiemi and Izumo. 

“Right!” Shiemi exclaims dutifully, already taking care of Tatsuma. Izumo nods and goes to assist Shiemi. 

“Let’s go, Rin!” Suguro takes my hand and starts pulling me in the direction of the Impure King. 

“Yeah!”

“Be careful,” groans Tatsuma with difficulty. “I’m truly sorry. Ryuuji… please forgive this worthless father of yours…”

“I… truly liked hearing you chant the sutra,” admits Suguro. “So no matter what, please don’t die!” And with that, he starts leading me away again, still holding me by the hand. 

I’m proud of Suguro. He’s amending the mistakes he made with his father, as I’m trying to do with mine. Neither of us have lost our dads yet, and I’m optimistic that we won’t for a long time. My dad’s still in the hospital, and he will be for the next several days, but after that he can go home and resume his duties as the abbot of the monastery, as well as returning to his roles of paladin and cram school teacher after going through physical therapy (Yukio took over his class temporarily, but Dad might return to the position when he’s well enough). I wonder if he knows about my death sentence. I wonder how he would feel about my execution, when he does find out.  _ Would he try to save me, like I’m trying to save myself? I’m also trying to help the people of Kyoto, as my first priority, but if I can somehow show the Vatican that I’m not a threat, that I’m not their enemy, maybe they’ll postpone or revoke my sentence? Oh, well. No use thinking about it now. I will save these people. And if I still end up being executed, so be it. At least the last act of Satan’s daughter will be a kind one, right? And I will have won, in reality, because after my death, no one will be able to name one evil thing that I’ve done. They will only be able to talk about how the Vatican slaughtered an innocent girl with an unfortunate heritage who only tried to save them. _

“...in… Rin? Rin!” Suguro seems to be calling my name. 

I blink, breaking out of the trance I didn’t know I was in. “What? Did you say something?”

We’ve stopped running. Suguro is still holding my hand, but he’s turned around so that we’re face to face. “Never mind about that. Are you okay? You seem kinda out of it.”

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Just thinking, that’s all.”

“About what?”

“Why does that matter? We have a time limit, we should hurry.” I try to leave, but Suguro still has a death grip on my hand and isn’t budging. 

“Not until you tell me why you’re crying.”

“Crying…?” I don’t cry. I’m not a crier. But, sure enough, when I lift my fingers up to my face, they come away wet.  _ This is the second time I’ve cried today.  _ This is almost unheard of for me. 

Suddenly fingers that aren’t mine are drying my face. “Rin. Tell me,” murmurs Suguro gently. “What’s wrong?”

We’re clearly not going anywhere until I tell him what I was thinking about just now. “It’s just… I want to save everyone. I really do. But I also want to live, and there’s no guarantee that the Vatican will revoke my death sentence if I do something good. What if I end up being executed, even after all this? I…”  _ I want to live. I shouldn’t have to die like this. _ “I can’t die yet!” I grit my teeth in anger. “Even if I  _ am _ a demon, those fools have  _ no _ right to decide an innocent girl’s fate like that! I deserve the chance to live, to grow old, to be the best exorcist ever! I’m fifteen! I still have my whole life ahead of me! No fifteen-year-old should die for just being born the daughter of Satan!” My anger at the injustice of it all is nearly overwhelming me. 

“Rin, calm down,” Suguro kindly advises me. I lift my head to make eye contact with him, about to snap at him that I can’t calm down, but then I see his face. He’s grinning. “You’re absolutely right. You  _ do _ deserve the chance to live, and I will definitely see to it that you get that chance. I’ll do whatever I can to protect you. I swear.”

I raise my eyebrow. “What’s with you all of a sudden? All I get out of you after my big reveal is the silent treatment, and suddenly you care about me again?”

“I really am sorry about that,” he apologizes sheepishly. “But I honestly never stopped loving you. You’re a good person, Rin, no matter your parentage. You’re kind, funny, and the best cook I’ve ever met. I don’t care about your heritage or powers. So you’re half demon. So you’re Satan’s kid. So what? You’re still you, right? Look, I don’t care if you don’t love me back. I can’t lose you.”

And despite my rage at the Vatican, I can’t help but smile at him. I’m glad to hear that he still loves me. “You’re such a sweetheart, Ryuuji,” I chuckle, then stand on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. I’ve been suppressing my feelings for him ever since that day, when Yukio and I saved that kid and Todou got away with the Left Eye. But I can’t hold them back anymore. “A moron for falling for  _ me _ , of all people, but a sweetheart nonetheless. But I guess that’s why I love you too. I’d been trying to deny my feelings for a while there, because I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, but I can’t anymore.”

Ryuuji gapes, blushing and astounded. “You…  _ What _ ?! Really?! You mean it?!”

I giggle. “Of course I mean it, you dense rooster.” Then I remember something. “Come on. We can talk about this later. We’ve got a job to do,” I remind him. 

And, hand in hand with my crush/friend, I run towards the steadily growing demon.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Ryuuji face the Impure King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I decided to make this a multiple update today, because... well, I felt like it. Enjoy!

Rin POV

When Ryuuji and I emerge from the trees, both of us are sweating, though for different reasons. For him, it’s from all the running. For me, it’s because it’s so hot tonight, even though I’m wearing so little.  _ Maybe I get hot quicker because of my fire powers. I don’t know. _ I’m still learning more and more about my relatively new body. 

The Impure King is right in front of us now, and I can’t help but stare. “What the heck is  _ that _ ?!” It’s the Impure King, but… “It’s turning into buildings?!”

“Not good,” mutters Ryuuji. “If we don’t get there soon, it’ll be bad for us! Hurry!”

Suddenly there’s a rustling in the bushes behind us. We both put up our guard, and… it turns out we didn’t need to. 

“ _ Rin! _ ”

“Kuro!” Where’s he  _ been  _ all this time?!

“ _ Rin, run away! _ ” Kuro shouts, standing on his back legs and waving his front paws around frantically. 

“Huh?!”

“ _ This mountain is possessed by that super scary monster! There’s a really bad aura! It’s dangerous! _ ”

“Are you talking about the Impure King? I know it’s dangerous, but that’s why I can’t let that kind of thing happen. We’re going to climb to the top of the mountain to take this thing down.”

“ _ What?! That’s crazy! _ ”

“But someone has to do something, or it’ll be dangerous,” I explain. 

“ _ You’re an idiot, Rin! _ ” Suddenly Kuro enlarges himself into his minivan-sized form. “ _ It’s dangerous, so I’m coming with you! _ ”

“Really?!” I’ve never been more grateful to Kuro. “Kuro, you’re the best! Ryuuji, hop on!”

“Hop on  _ what _ ?!”

  
  


Ryuuji POV

“What the heck is  _ that _ ?!” Rin exclaims, gaping widely. It’s the Impure King, but having taken a different shape now. “It’s turning into buildings?!”

“Not good,” I mutter. “If we don’t get there soon, it’ll be bad for us! Hurry!”

Suddenly there’s a rustling in the bushes behind us. We both put up our guard, but what appears isn’t a threat. 

“Kuro!” It’s Rin’s familiar. Kuro stands on his back legs, waving his front paws around frantically, as if warning Rin about something. I have no idea what he’s saying. Rin does, though. She can hear him via demonic telepathy. “Huh?!” Kuro says something else. “Are you talking about the Impure King? I know it’s dangerous, but that’s why I can’t let that kind of thing happen. We’re going to climb to the top of the mountain to take this thing down.” The little demon speaks in her mind again. What is he saying?! Can’t someone tell the regular human guy what’s going on around here? “But someone has to do something, or it’ll be dangerous,” Rin explains. Suddenly Kuro transforms into a very large version of himself. “Really?!” Rin looks incredibly happy, but I have a bad feeling. “Kuro, you’re the best! Ryuuji, hop on!”

Suddenly I understand. “Hop on  _ what _ ?!”

  
  


Rin POV

“Hahahaha!” I laugh, pumped full of adrenaline as Kuro leaps, practically flying, toward the Impure King. Despite the situation, this is actually pretty fun. 

Meanwhile, Ryuuji screams in terror. “I’m gonna die!” Kuro is carrying us, very quickly, toward the Impure King’s sporangium. 

Kuro touches down on the Impure King for a moment, then pushes off and springs away. But the instant he does, the bubbling ooze breaks form and follows him. “ _ We’ll be attacked once we step on it! _ ” Kuro warns me. “ _ It looks like a building, but it’s actually a monster! _ ”

“It’s not suitable to make a landing here,” says Karura. “We can’t penetrate the center of the barrier.”

“Right now we don’t even have time to chant properly, let alone that!” Ryuuji shouts. 

“Kuro! Do we have a foothold close to the sporangium?” I ask. 

“ _ I’ll look for one! _ ”

“This thing is too big…” Ryuuji mutters. He’s looking at the sporangium. I look at it too. 

But, unbidden, my stomach starts to growl. That round shape… “Ahh…” I moan hungrily, “that looks like a giant meat bun… I haven’t had dinner…”

“It’s amazing how calm and normal you’re being right now, Rin,” says Ryuuji. “I’m actually scared to death.”

I can see why. The Impure King is terrifying. Also, from where he’s sitting on Kuro, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t scared. “That’s because you lost at rock, paper, scissors!” We played to see who would sit where. I won, so I get to be sitting up at the base of Kuro’s neck, between his shoulder blades. Ryuuji, on the other hand, is behind me, with one of Kuro’s tails wrapped around him. Although, somehow I got the feeling he’s happier to be sitting behind me. 

“I’m not referring to that! Currently you can’t draw your sword, so you’re just a really strong girl carrying a stick! Aren’t you at least a bit scared?!”

“ _ Rin, there’s a rock below! _ ” Kuro informs me. 

“Good! Let’s land there!” I tell him. 

“ _ Hold on tight! _ ” Kuro leaps toward it, and lands solidly on all fours. “ _ A foothold where we won’t be corroded! This is the only place! _ ” He lowers Ryuuji to the ground. 

“Alright,” I say. “We’ll have the decisive battle here!”

“You’re not thinking about giving up, right?” Ryuuji asks. 

“This time?” I smirk. “No way. Why, are you scared?” The look on Ryuuji’s face alone asks me how dare I consider such an option. “Everyone’s probably working hard, and doing their best. So we must do our best as well! Just focus on setting up the barrier, Princess Ryuuji!”

“What?! In case you forgot,  _ you’re  _ the princess here, Rin!”

“Hey, you’re the one whimpering over there,” I point out. “I don’t want to be the knight of such a crude princess, you know.”

“Rin…” Ryuuji complains. 

“Don’t worry. I have faith in you,” I tell him, all joking aside. “We’ll win, Ryuuji! I’m counting on you, babe!” I position myself beside Kuro, in between the Impure King and Ryuuji. “Let’s go, Kuro, my trusty steed!”

“ _ I’m not a horse! _ ”

As Kuro and I charge in to fight off the demon, Ryuuji chants his barrier spell behind me. He finishes by touching the ground with his forefinger, and immediately, a fiery light shoots out from the top of his head, where Karura is. The light spreads outward, forming an enormous dome around us and the Impure King. 

“Amazing! Good job, Ryuuji!” I congratulate him. 

“ _ Amazing! _ ” Kuro agrees. 

I start to turn back to the Impure King, when I think I hear my brother’s voice.  _ “Rin!” _ It doesn’t sound like he’s close, though. That voice was in my head… “Yukio…?” I murmur, looking around, temporarily distracted. 

“Rin, in front of you!” Ryuuji yells. 

I look around, and bring up my sheathed sword just in time to block another attack from the Impure King. “Woah!” And the sporangium… it’s  _ huge  _ now. “This is getting really bad!”

“It might be seconds away from exploding!” Ryuuji warns me frantically. 

“Seriously… it feels like the crap around us is moving faster too…”

“ _ Even after we beat it, _ ” says Kuro,  _ “it just keeps surging back even bigger! _ ”

“Ryuuji,” warns Karura. “Do not break the Earth Contact Seal. If that seal is broken, the barrier will fail too.”

“You don’t need to remind me!” Ryuuji snaps. “I won’t break this seal even if I die!”

_ That’s  _ a bit dramatic. “Alright, princess, don’t get your royal panties in a bunch,” I tell him. 

“Enough with the princess thing!”

“Just focus for now! I don’t plan on letting you die for several decades! At least grow old with me, Ryu!”

Fortunately, as I keep fighting, Ryuuji does as I request, and keeps up the barrier. Unfortunately, however, the sporangium swells to such a large size that it does, finally, burst. 

It’s not like a balloon popping. The size of the explosion is on a monstrous level, spraying spores of miasma everywhere. The cloud of miasma finally settles down a bit, and I can see the Impure King taking form. The only way I can describe the demon is that it’s absolutely hideous. It looks like a gigantic, mutated, demonic bug. It inhales, and then, before I know what’s happening, it expels from (what I think is) its mouth a toxic gas. 

“Gah!” I hold my hand up to my face. “That stinks!” It totally reeks!

“That’s…” gasps Ryuuji in shock, “the heart of the Impure King…” Then he starts coughing. 

“Ryuuji!”  _ His human body can’t handle this! I should have known that the demon would produce more miasma! _ Suddenly I see the Impure King looming behind him.  _ Oh no…  _ “Ryuuji!” I scream. 

“Karura, protect me!” Ryuuji orders. 

“Understood,” responds Karura, and creates a tall, vertical tunnel of flame that completely surrounds Ryuuji as he shifts his pose from having one forefinger touching the ground to both. This succeeds in repelling the demon, but at what cost? “I somehow managed to drive the Impure King away, Ryuuji. But this double posture will consume your strength faster. Prepare yourself.”

Ryuuji is already sweating and panting, clearly more exhausted than before, not to mention the miasma is clearly getting to him. “Ryuuji!” I start running towards him. “Are you okay?! What did you just do?!”

“I simply used a piece of the barrier to protect Ryuuji,” replies Karura. “If the person creating it falls, everything is lost. The Impure King is attracted to the life force of the living, but it’s also weak to fire. It should stay away for a while.” I breathe a sigh of relief. 

“On the other hand,” says Ryuuji grimly, “I’m not even sure this barrier will hold another 15 minutes.”

“15 minutes?!” I exclaim. “Don’t tell me…” 

“My body is reaching its limit,” he confirms. “Honestly, I might not last even 15 minutes…” Ryuuji really does look horrible. The miasma and energy used are definitely getting to him. “Koneko… and Shima… couldn’t make it in the end… I hope… they’re all fine.” He can’t even speak very well. He’s exhausted and ill. 

“Of course they are!” I insist. “We’ll see everyone again soon! I promise!” Then the bubbling body of the Impure King closes in around me, trapping my whole body, and I yelp in surprise. It feels so gross… 

“ _ Rin! _ ” Kuro dives in and attacks my assailant. 

No! “Kuro! Stop! Ignore it!” I yell. I’m freed, but at the cost of Kuro getting captured in my stead. “Kuro!” I grit my teeth and glare angrily at the demon. “You monster!” I scream. “Give him back!” I pull at my sword once again, trying to unsheathe it. But, once again, it doesn’t work.  _ No way… despite all this, I still can’t pull it out.  _ “Why?!”

“It’s… the end.” Slowly, I turn around. Ryuuji looks utterly defeated. “While my barrier still lasts,” he says, “get away! Get away and try to help people take shelter! Hurry up… go. Every second is precious. Go!”

_ What is he talking about?!  _ “I won’t run!” I yell. “I’m not going to lose you! And no one is going to die here! I still want to go to Kyoto Tower, so promise you’ll take me there tomorrow! That’s why I need Kyoto to be safe. I need everybody to be safe. Let’s win, Ryuuji, and go back home.”

“Why… why the Kyoto Tower, anyway?!” Ryuuji shouts in disbelief. “Kyoto has heaps of other famous spots to see!”

“I don’t really know much about temples,” I admit sheepishly. “I just wanted to see some fashion spots, you know?” Suddenly Ryuuji starts laughing. I’m worried. “Ryuuji? Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” he answers once he is able to. “I’m okay. I’ll support your fake confidence.” He grins. “Rin, I’ll trust you.” And then he resumes his original position, with only one finger on the ground, allowing his own personal barrier to disappear. 

_ Stupid old man… why did you save me? Why me? Why was I saved? _ I grasp the hilt and sheath of my sword.  _ Why…  _ I pull at them, attempting to separate the two again.  _ Was I saved?!  _ Suddenly the sword comes loose, and I’m covered in my blue flames once again. I’m shocked, but don’t allow myself to hesitate a second longer. 

I charge at the Impure King with my fiery sword, and slice right through the demon. I land on the other side of it, and behind me, it goes up in flames. 

“Rin!”

I spin around, and see Ryuuji nearly entirely encased in the Impure King’s body. “Ryuuji!” Then suddenly Shura’s here, helping him. “Shura!”

“Leave Suguro to me!” Shura orders. “That monster is not something a normal human being can defeat. We’ll have to rely on you. Didn’t you swear to me that Shiro was right to let you live? Prove it!”

“Right!” I agree. Now’s my only chance to prove myself. I dive straight into the middle of the beast, attacking and burning it with everything I have. But nothing’s working. “How do I defeat it?!” 

“I guess it’s not gonna be easy,” Shura says. And then I hear the sound of a body hitting the ground. 

I look over my shoulder, and see that Ryuuji has collapsed. He’s unconscious. “Ryuuji!” I scream. But there’s a bigger problem; the barrier is disappearing. Starting from the top and moving down, it evaporates into thin air.  _ Crap! The miasma must not leak out! What can I do?! _

I can’t really do anything but keep attacking. But this thing is just so big… I don’t know how I’m going to take it down with my meager flames. I land on top of a bridge-like part of the Impure King’s body after slicing at it again.  _ What should I do…? Dad, lend me your strength! _

“Geez,” says an annoyed voice. “You’re a pain to look at!” Suddenly a fiery creature that looks a little like a much larger version of Karura appears before me. 

_ What the…?  _ “What are you?” I ask. “A demon?”

“Tch! Demon, angel, acala… they’re all just names humans decided to give us. Who are you to call me that? You are a human clad in the holy flames!”  _ Human? No, I’m only half.  _ “I’m the burning impurity Kongo, Ucchusma,” the demon introduces himself. “The Impure King has been my sworn enemy for a long time. That sword originally belonged to our master.”  _ Master? Does Ucchusma mean that monk, Fukaku? _ “If you want to defeat it, I will teach you how to control flames.”

This might be the only chance I can get. I don’t know who he is, but I need this demon’s help. “Please do it, Ucchusma!” I say, giving my permission and hoping I don’t sound too desperate. 

“Well, there is no other way…” says Ucchusma, and he seems to combine with my sword. The Koma sword is now equipped with Ucchusma, who has now turned the same color blue as my flames. “Repeat the mantra and sutra that I’m going to chant!” Ucchusma orders. 

“What are you planning to do?!”

“We will summon Kashou Zanmai! Kashou Zanmai will burn everything in the material world. With this demon flame of yours, you will be able to burn and purify this whole mountain.”

“Wait a sec! The whole mountain?! There are lots of people here!” I protest. 

“So what? Such a trivial thing,” scoffs Ucchusma with disdain. “All the people who entered the Impure King’s castle or came into contact with its subordinates are contaminated. You must purify them completely! The smallest seedling will be able to revive the Impure King. Let’s go.”

“W… wait…” But there’s no time to wait. The Impure King is attacking again. Ucchusma and I dodge.  _ There’s no time to waste! I have to defeat the enemy without hurting anyone. Can I really do it? Still…  _ “I have to try!”

“There’s no time to waste,” Ucchusma reminds me impatiently. “Let’s go.”

I begin chanting. But it’s strange, because I don’t even know what I’m saying.  _ The words are coming straight to my head, _ I think as a ball of fire begins to form at the tip of Kurikara. It grows and grows as I continue to chant. 

“That’s good,” Ucchusma congratulates me. “Now chant the sutra, and fire!”

“Kashou Zanmai!” I scream, and swing my sword down toward the Impure King. A huge blue fireball surges forward, and slams into the demon. There’s a blue explosion, actually damaging the demon this time. The flames spread slowly over the demon, burning it. “What… is this…?”

“Why are you hesitating?” Ucchusma demands impatiently. “Pour more power into the flames!”

“But if I do…”  _ The flames will burn me out!  _ I can already feel them taking over my body and mind.  _ The flames are devouring me! My… my power has been repressed since I was born! And I’ve had to put up with that! But I’ve had enough! I am free! I’m gonna smash everything to pieces! I’m a beast that turns everything to ashes! That’s the real me!  _

_ “I’m not afraid,”  _ I suddenly remember someone saying.  _ Shiemi…  _ And then I’m myself again.  _ “See? I didn’t get burned! That’s because you made it so, Rin. So it’s okay!”  _ That’s what she said, when she and the others rescued me.  _ That’s right. You all trusted me.  _ I take a deep breath, and focus.  _ I want to live up to your faith!  _

No longer holding back, I pour all my power into my flames. I can feel them spreading outward over the Impure King. They cover the whole mountain, washing over every tree, every rock, every human contaminated by the demon. I allow everything to burn. Then, I rein in my flames again, decreasing their radius around me until they disappear. 

Exhausted, I kneel on the ground. My sheath clatters to the ground in front of me. Using all that power took almost everything I had. 

“Everything has been purified,” Ucchusma tells me. “I’m leaving.” Then he pauses, studying me for a few moments. “Hmm… I wonder which one you are. A human, or a demon? One day, you will have to decide.” Then he’s gone. 

I stand up, picking up my sheath on the way.  _ What did he mean by that? Decide whether I’m human or demon? Aren’t I half of both? _

I hear a quiet groaning behind me as I sheath my sword. “Suguro, are you okay?” Shura asks. Immediately upon hearing this, my heart swells with hope. 

“Uh… Yeah… what happened?” Ryuuji asks groggily.  _ He’s okay! _

“Look.”

“Rin!” I hear Ryuuji’s footsteps as he approaches me. 

“Ryuuji… Shura… I did it!” I turn around and grin at them. “I controlled my flames!” Ryuuji looks shocked while Shura looks proud. “There are still some things that need fine tuning,” I say happily as I look at my sword, loving it more and more. “But I finally learned how to decide what to burn!”

“Well, it’s not the first time you succeeded in that,” says Shura. “Remember that time you burned your clothes off and left only your bra and panties?”

“Shut up!” I blush. Ryuuji’s blushing too, like he’s trying not to imagine what that looked like. “This time I did it on purpose! Until now it was always unintentional!” Why’d she have to bring up  _ that  _ incident?!

“Rin… Bon!” I turn, and see Konekomaru and everyone else coming toward us. They were probably drawn to this location by my blue flames. Konekomaru has started running toward us. 

“Koneko! Shima! You’re okay!” Ryuuji says in surprise and relief. 

“Konekomaru!” I call out to him proudly. “I was finally able to control my power! I didn’t burn anything except the Impure King!”

“I see,” says Renzo. “Yeah, well, that was quite an unusual experience. I was inside the flames but it didn’t hurt at all. On the contrary, all the bacteria were burned away.”

“All the ones contaminated by the decay,” says an older man, “myself included, were purified by those blue flames…! What an amazing power! I can’t thank you enough!”

I was happy to do this for them, but… “I-it’s okay!” I stammer nervously. “It’s kinda embarrassing to be praised like this…” Especially since I’m not used to it. 

“Rin…” sniffles Konekomaru. “Thank you…” Tears fall thick and fast down his face. “Really… I… forgive me!”

“Hey, now,” I say gently, pulling him into an embrace. “Why are you crying?” He just sobs into my chest while I rub his bald head comfortingly. I never really realized how tiny he actually is. Konekomaru is at least a head shorter than I am. 

“Sister!”

I look up, and see Yukio. “Oh! Hey, little brother!” I take my hand from Koneko’s head to wave at my twin. “So you’re okay too!”

Yukio’s eye twitches. “Shura, how come my sister’s here?!” he demands. “Who got her out of confinement?!”

“Well, you see,” Shura explains, “she apologized.”

My brother is speechless. “Look, Yukio! I saved all these people here! See? My flames aren’t all bad!” I tell him, grinning happily. Kyoto, and all its people, are safe now. 

Suddenly my head jerks to the side as my brother’s fist makes contact with my left cheek. “Don’t be a fool!” Yukio yells. “Do you understand your situation?!”

“I do.” I really do get it. “I finally understand. I am Satan’s daughter. And I can’t run away from this power. I’ve always been scared to face it and acknowledge it. But…” I can feel my consciousness slipping. “...that was… not…” And then everything fades to black as the ground rushes up to meet me.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the battle with the Impure King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! This is the third (and final) chapter I will post today. Enjoy!

Ryuuji POV

“Look, Yukio! I saved all these people here! See? My flames aren’t all bad!” Rin tells him, grinning happily. 

Suddenly, he punches her in the face, and her head jerks to the side.  _ What the…?!  _ “Don’t be a fool!” Mr. Okumura yells. “Do you understand your situation?!”

“I do,” Rin says calmly. “I finally understand. I am Satan’s daughter. And I can’t run away from this power. I’ve always been scared to face it and acknowledge it. But…” She looks a little wobbly. “...that was… not…” And then she collapses, unconscious. 

“Sister?!”

“Rin!” I involuntarily shout. I step forward to catch her, but her brother is closer. He doesn’t get to her before she hits the ground, but he does pick her up in his arms immediately after, holding her protectively to his chest. Her tail and hair dangle limply toward the ground, almost brushing against it but not quite touching. 

I almost offer to help him carry her back to the inn, but decide against it. He doesn’t look like he wants to let go of her. The thought that Mr. Okumura truly loves his sister has crossed my mind before. And, based off the way he’s acting right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had sworn to protect her. He must have known about her scheduled execution. There’s no way any sane person would want to see their sibling killed. He’s probably relieved that she’s still alive, though no one knows for how long, and he’s just trying to cherish her presence as long as he can. 

My mom and I stand in the entryway of the inn, waiting for my dad to be brought in on a stretcher. 

“I’m home!” he says cheerfully, waving as they bring him in. 

“Dad,” I greet him in relief. He’s alive and mostly well. 

“I’m okay, just a bit anemic right now,” he explains. 

“Tatsuma…” says Mom quietly and tenderly, approaching him. 

“Torako…” replies Dad, reaching out for her as she places her hand on his cheek. 

“How…” Suddenly she grabs his ear angrily. “How did you end up like this?!” Mom demands. 

“Ouch! Torako, that hurts!”

This is so typical for them. It’s also a good sign that things will return to normal. 

The next day is rather docile, no one really having the energy to do anything. I went back to my own room to sleep after making sure Dad was okay last night, then I slept in until the afternoon. We were all up until after dawn, and pulling an all-nighter like that takes a lot out of everyone. Today, my thoughts keep turning to Rin. How is she doing? Has she woken up yet? Maybe I should go find her. I remember that she was taken to a room with the others, everyone but Koneko and myself. 

  
  


Rin POV

I open my eyes. Sunlight is shining into the room that I must have been brought to, and I’m guessing it’s probably late afternoon now. Someone must have changed my clothes, too, because now I’m wearing pajamas. Sleepily, I glance around. Next to my pillow, beside me on my futon, is a familiar someone. 

“Kuro…” I whisper. He seems to be okay, despite being bandaged around the middle. The style of the room seems familiar. “This must be Ryuuji’s inn,” I murmur. 

Suddenly I notice that I’m not alone in this room. Sleeping on the futon to the right of mine is Izumo. On the left, Shiemi. As I look at her, Shiemi stirs, humming happily, and opens her eyes. She sees me and smiles. “Rin… you woke up,” she says in relief. “At last!”

“Why are you sleeping here?” I ask, curious. “Are you injured?”

“No. I just came in here to get an IV drip, but then I saw how peacefully you were sleeping, and somehow fell asleep here.” She grins a little sheepishly. “Maybe because yesterday I didn’t sleep at all…” She didn’t sleep? She really needs to stop overworking herself. “Rin, you did a great job. Suguro and the others told me that you were amazing. Especially Suguro, since he was there.”

I blush. “Yeah, well… actually, it was pretty bad. But thanks to everyone, I could make it. You actually helped me out a lot too. Remembering your faith in me really encouraged me a lot. So… thanks!” I’m truly grateful to her. 

“Really?!” She crawls across her futon over to mine and grabs my left hand earnestly, holding it to her chest. “I helped you?”

“Huh? Of course you did!” After all, she was the one who first told me how much she believed in my ability to control these flames of mine. 

She blushes a bright red. “Ahh! I… I… I’m so happy!” Joyful tears appear in her eyes. “Rin!” She grips my hand in both of hers even tighter now in her excitement. “Listen, from now on… no matter what happens, you and I will be friends forever! Forever and ever!”

_ Forever…?  _ I sit up, having not done so earlier. “Shiemi…” So an angel wants to be friends with a demon, huh? That makes me… really happy, actually. I wrap my right arm around her in an embrace, since my left is already occupied and pinned between us. “I’d be the luckiest girl alive to have you as a friend for even a moment,” I tell her. “Thank you, Shiemi.”

“Jeez, if you’re going to kiss, just  _ do it  _ already!” says an annoyed voice behind me. 

Whoops. I forgot about Izumo. Shiemi and I break apart from our hug instantly. 

“Who’s kissing?!” From around the screen on the other side of Shiemi, Renzo skids into view. “Are there girls kissing back here?! That’d be  _ hot _ !”

“No one’s kissing anyone over here, Renzo!” I snap at him. “And what are you doing here, anyway?”

“Well, I didn’t wanna go home,” he explains. “And there was no place to sleep other than in the head clerk room, so here I am. By the way, Rin, you look fantastic in those pajamas.” He looks very shamelessly at my chest. That’s when I notice the breeze, and realize just how much of my cleavage must be showing.

I tug the fabric into place and cover myself up a little bit (only a little, since it doesn’t quite fit around my huge chest), scowling at him the whole time. “So who else is here?”

“Just Takara. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen him since yesterday…” I don’t think I have either. We were sent to look after the sick when we got here, and then I kinda just lost track of him. Where exactly does he go? What does he even do? “By the way,” continues Renzo, “I heard we’re gonna go back to Tokyo the day after tomorrow. But Ms. Kirigakure said tomorrow we can have the day off! So if you want…”

My eyes widen in interest when I hear his idea. 

“So… um… what did you want to talk about, Rin?” I’m standing across the hallway from Renzo, my arms crossed under my breasts, and my classmate is having a hard time keeping his eyes on my face. 

_ Unbelievable.  _ “First of all, make eye contact with me when you talk. Second of all, you don’t seem to remember, so I’ll remind you of what I asked yesterday.” The idea he proposed a few minutes ago was terrific, but I’m not going to let that distract me from my objective. “What exactly happened when I was drunk the night before last?” That was obviously Shura’s alcohol I drank that night, because no normal juice would’ve made me feel that fuzzy. I don’t remember what happened during that time, and Renzo was the only one around and knows what happened.

“Ah. That… Well, you see…” he begins nervously. “After Bon and Koneko ditched us, you and I ate our bento together, but you didn’t really like how far away I was sitting, and thought I was still scared of you. But I just hate troublesome things, and before then, I thought treating you normally would be more hassle than it was worth! I was totally wrong about that, of course… and it kinda sounds stupid now that I said it out loud…”

“You thought being my friend would be  _ troublesome _ ? Man, how lame,” I scoff. 

“What?! You said that back then, too! Are you sure you don’t remember?! You called me uncool! You said that I’m even less cool than  _ Kuro _ !”

“Wow, I’m smart when I’m drunk,” I comment. I’m starting to like this drunk Rin that Renzo is describing. 

“ _ Anyway _ , that’s when I realized that not involving myself with you would be too troublesome, and we had a good laugh, and then you fell asleep. I brought you back to the inn, but we kinda… met someone along the way.”

“Someone? Which someone?” I prompt. 

“Umm… we ran into Bon… and he wasn’t in much better shape than you were,” he says reluctantly. Meaning that Ryuuji was also drunk. I remember him saying something like that in the dining hall. “He was conscious, but I doubt he remembers anything either.”

“What happened?”

“Well… he kinda got angry at me, because I was carrying you,” explains Renzo. “He wanted to take you from me, but I don’t know what he would’ve done to you if he did. So I tried to explain that I needed to get you to your room, and get you in bed— Stop looking at me like that!” I’m glaring at him. There’s no telling what this pervert could’ve done to me when I was vulnerable like that. “I’m not so low as to do something to an unconscious woman!” I have a hard time believing that, given my body type and his track record with it. “Anyway, Bon said… he said he didn’t want any other man touching his woman. And that he would let me off this one time, but if anyone else held you like that again, he’d cut off their hands.”

“Wait a minute. He said that  _ I  _ was  _ his woman _ ?!”  _ He really has it for me bad, doesn’t he? _

“Yeah. Weird, huh? I mean, you’re not even dating, right? So there’s no way that’d be true. Obviously, Bon likes you, but you didn’t hear that from me, okay?”

I sigh and shake my head.  _ Ryuuji is so hopeless when it comes to me, isn’t he? He always has been.  _ “Your secret’s safe with me, Renzo. So what happened next?”

“After that, he insisted on being the one to carry you to your room, so I let him. I went with you guys, just to make sure nothing happened. He tried to lie down to sleep beside you on your bed, and it seemed like he  _ really  _ wanted to cuddle, but I dragged him out, leaving Kuro to watch over you. And that’s about it.”

“I see,” I acknowledge, nodding. That sounds about right. My body certainly didn’t  _ feel  _ violated yesterday morning. I woke up wearing all my clothes, including my shoes. So I’m positive that neither Renzo nor Ryuuji did anything to me. Not to mention Kuro would have probably scratched their eyes out if either had tried to take advantage of my unconscious state, and since that hasn’t happened, it’s safe to say they didn’t try. I’m surprised that Renzo didn’t try groping me or something, but I’m grateful. “Thanks for looking out for me, Renzo. I really do appreciate it.”

“Oh… um… it wasn’t a big deal or anything…” he says, blushing. “Just wanted to do what was right, y’know?”

I shake my head. “Even so, you’re a good friend, Renzo.” I move to walk past him, ruffling his hair a little. “So thanks.”

I’m buying a drink from a vending machine when I notice the sleeping figure on a chair behind me. 

“Huh?! Yukio?!” He’s totally zoned out! He even still has his glasses on. He opens a sleepy eye to look at me, but doesn’t move from his position. “What’s with those clothes? Don’t tell me you’ve been awake since yesterday!” He’s wearing the exact same clothes he would wear under his exorcist coat. 

“Yeah…” he mumbles groggily.

“Go sleep in your bed!” I order. “Jeez, most people don’t know how much you really slack off in taking care of yourself. You get tired because you always try to do too much for everyone. Just rest for a bit, so you don’t run yourself ragged. Then I want to talk to you about something, so don’t run away.” I ruffle his hair as I pass him. 

He makes an unhappy grunting sound. “What the…”

I’m wandering through the halls, unsure of where to go, when I find Ryuuji. “Hey, Ryu,” I greet him once I’ve approached him. 

“Rin!” he says in surprise. “How are you doing?”

“Better than last night,” I tell him. “How about you?” 

He nods. “I’m good. Better, actually, now that I see that you’re okay.”

His words make me blush. “Come on, Ryuuji!” I groan, hiding my face in my hands. “Isn’t that the kind of thing my boyfriend should be saying?”

“I-if that’s the case,” he stammers a little, “then it’s fine, right? I mean, I can’t imagine anyone whose boyfriend I’d rather be. And I can’t imagine wanting a girlfriend other than you.”

I peek between my fingers and see that he’s blushing but sincere. So I lower my hands. I’m not going to pretend I feel any different than he does. “Likewise, babe,” I tell him, grinning. It’s lucky that no one else is around, because once we start kissing, it’s several minutes before we are able to stop. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

The day after Rin becomes my girlfriend, I’m walking through the halls of the inn, thinking about the night she beat the Impure King.  _ The Impure King was defeated. In other words, what was restraining the Myou Dha has now vanished! It’s the perfect time for Dad to bring everyone together as the head of the sect! To do this, first of all he’ll have to take the authorization exam so that he’ll be acknowledged by the exorcists of the True Cross Order… _

“Bon, good morning,” says someone in a room to my left as I pass by. 

“Mornin’!” I reply automatically, not even looking at the man who called out.  _ Wait a minute. That voice…  _ I freeze, and back up. And sure enough, sweeping away at the floor… I don’t even remember walking up to him, but the next thing I know, I’ve got him by the collar. “Hey, you old baldy,” I growl. “What’re you doing?!”

“Huh? I’m cleaning the floor,” my dad confesses innocently. 

“In  _ those _ clothes?!” Those aren’t the clothes of the Most High Priest of the Myou Dha. They are those of a servant, a lowly member of the staff of the inn. 

“Well, you know, nothing’s restraining me anymore,” my dad says, grinning sheepishly. “From now on I think I’ll just work at Toraya to support Torako!”

_ He’s going to… What?!  _ “What are you…?”

“Ryuuji…”

But before Dad can say another word, Koneko skids around the corner. “Most High Priest! And Bon! Come with me, quick!” he says urgently. 

We follow him, and reach our destination just in time to see a room filled with members of both the Shima and Hojo families, meeting up. 

Juuzo and Mamushi are sitting in front of everyone else. “So,” Juuzo is saying with a huge grin on his face, “I’m marrying Mamushi! I was thinking that I should settle down, after all. Perfect timing.”

“How dare you!” Mamushi demands, her face red and flustered. “I never gave you permission!”

“Permission…? Yesterday night, things just took their course, right?”

“Shut up! You don’t need to say that here! I’ll kill you!”

This was enough, though, to set off Kinzo, Ao, and Nishiki. 

“What did you do to our sister, you monkey?!”

“It can’t be true, Juuzo! Such a skinny snake girl…! Weren’t you gonna marry some hot blonde babe with a curvy body?!”

“What did you just say?! Perverted monkey! If you insult our sister again, we—”

“Quiet!” Uwabami shouts, seething. 

“Juuzo,” says Yaozo calmly, “it looks like Mamushi doesn’t really agree. I believe you two should discuss this better. It’s important.”

“Well, I don’t think we’d come to an agreement anyway,” admits Juuzo. 

“Heh! Of course! Our sister would never be with the likes of—!”

“Mamushi,” says Juuzo, ignoring her sisters. “I’m serious. Do you really disagree?”

“I… I’m going to be punished,” she says solemnly. “I cannot marry.”

“Well, then you could just think of marrying me as your punishment!” Juuzo says brightly. 

“I’m not a simpleton like you are!” Mamushi protests. Then she blushes. “And… I wouldn’t think of it as a punishment…!”

“Sisteeeer!”

“Juuzo,” says Uwabami.

“Yes sir!”

“Because of what happened, Mamushi will be inevitably deprived of her meister and removed from the Order. And her right eye probably won’t go back to how it used to be. Are you still fine with her?”

“I am.” He bows low to the ground respectfully. “I’ll say it again, Uwabami. Please let me have Mamushi.”

Uwabami bows too. “Please take care of her!”

“Thank you very much!”

“Father! Wait… I still…”

“I’m happy for them!” Dad says joyfully beside me. 

“What is this chaos…?” I mutter. 

“See,” says Dad, stepping away from the doorway where we were watching. “Even without pushing so hard, everyone is going their own way. Let them be.”

“You’re the one who overdid it for years,” I snap at him. “Why didn’t you just quit?”

“Because you were important to me,” he says simply. Then he starts walking away. 

_ Wait, what?  _ “Are… aren’t you going to read the sutras again?”

“You don’t need lullabies anymore.” And then he’s gone. 

I stare after him for several seconds. He’s right. I’m grown up enough that I don’t need them anymore. 

“Ugh!” Shima’s voice behind me says. “So Juuzo got Mamushi…? It’s like marrying a relative… so gross…”

“Shima,” Koneko greets him. 

“Ah, Bon, Koneko!” Shima grins. “I’ve been looking for you! You see…”

  
  


Rin POV

The nine of us stand in a more or less horizontal line. Well, the seven humans, one half-demon, and one cat sith that make up our group, that is. This is what I’ve been waiting for.  _ We’re going to go sightseeing in Kyoto! _

“We should visit the usual popular spots. First of all, kinkakuji maybe?” Renzo suggests. 

“What are you saying, Shima?!” Konekomaru scolds. “We should go to toji first, it’s closer to here. If we don’t plan our route carefully we won’t be able to see everything.”

“Okaaaay,” groans Renzo. 

“If there’s somewhere you want to visit,” says Koneko to the rest of us, “just tell us.”

“I-I want to eat bean jam, and kudzu starch noodles, and sweets…!” Shiemi says with wonder sparkling in her eyes. 

“I’d like to see Fushimi Inari at least once in my life,” states Izumo. 

“Introduce some maiko to me!” Takara demands through his puppet. 

“I vote for Kyoto Tower!”

“ _ Me too! _ ” Kuro agrees with me, from his spot on top of my head. 

“There she goes,” sighs Ryuuji. 

“Eh? The Kyoto Tower?” Konekomaru says in surprise. “There are lots of better places, you know…”

“Please!” I beg. “I’ve had my eyes on it since before coming here!”

“Well, it’s Satan’s daughter’s wish,” says Ryuuji. “Maybe we should grant it, or our esteemed princess will burn us to ashes.”

“Not funny!”

“I see,” says Konekomaru humbly. “Let’s do what Princess Rin says…”

“Not you too, Konekomaru…”

But for the rest of the day, everyone calls me Princess Rin. Even Kuro, Takara, Shiemi, and my traitorous brother do. But that doesn’t take away from the joy of sightseeing. The places are beautiful, the food is delicious, the souvenir shopping is fun. 

And finally, at the end of it, I dare to ask for a group picture with everyone in the Kyoto Tower memorial corner. Which gets a unanimously annoying response, consistent with the theme of the day. 

“Well, we can’t refuse, since Princess Rin will burn us to ashes,” says Ryuuji. 

“It’s Princess Rin’s order, it can’t be helped,” adds Izumo. 

“Even if you try to speak with reserve it still sounds like a threat,” says Renzo nervously. 

“Let’s do what Princess Rin says,” Konekomaru says respectfully. 

“How long are you gonna use that?! Are you bullying me?!” I cry out. 

Renzo laughs. “Well, it’d be a pity not to use it! After all, it’s your peculiarity!”

“And by the way,” says Ryuuji, putting his arm around my waist. “You don’t need to ask for permission every time!”

_ These guys…  _ A smile tugs at my lips. I’m glad they’re my friends. They’re messing with me, but not because they hate me. It’s because I’m one of them. 

We pose for the picture. “Ok, get ready,” the photographer tells us. 

I can hear some movement behind me. As soon as the picture has been taken, I look back, and my jaw drops. Ryuuji, Izumo, Konekomaru, Renzo, and Yukio are all forming letters with their bodies. And the word they’re spelling… “Hey! Is that meant to be ‘Satan’?!”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquires depart from the Kyoto branch, begin a new mission at the beach, and discuss Rin’s status as the mom friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mother’s Day, everyone! Alright, so, a couple things. From here on, there will be manga spoilers, so I suggest anime-onlys read the manga before proceeding! Also, the mom-friend thing happening on Mother’s Day is honestly an unplanned coincidence, but I’m kinda satisfied It turned out that way. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Rin POV

“Right then,” says Shura, the day after the sightseeing trip. “We’ll be moving out!” She shakes hands with the older man I saw back on the mountain. I have since learned that he is Yaozo Shima, Renzo’s father and the branch chief. “I’m entrusting the pursuit of Todou, and the resolvement of all the loose ends, to you, branch chief! Don’t worry, I’ll get more people sent in from headquarters to help out!”

“Leave it to me,” says Yaozo. 

Then, everyone starts making their farewells. The Shima brothers are particularly lively. 

“Rin.” I hear my name and look around. It’s Ryuuji’s dad. “About that Koma sword of yours,” he says, “if you have any trouble with it, feel free to rely on me. Although I’m not too familiar with your demonic powers and my contract with Karura has been severed, I might still be able to help.”

“Thank you!” I say earnestly, grateful for his offer. 

But he just shakes his head. “No,  _ I _ should be thanking  _ you _ . You’re a great woman. Shiro Fujimoto must be proud to have you as a daughter.”

I chuckle. “Well, I hope so, once he hears that I burned up every bit of the Impure King. I’m not sure he’d take the news of my scheduled execution very well, though…”

He laughs. “I doubt the Order would still want to execute someone who has proved herself useful to them. Let’s just wait and see.” He takes notice of someone behind me. “Ryuuji, if anything happens, I’m counting on you,” he says. “You’re her friend, right?”

Ryuuji puts his arm around my shoulder. “Of course,” he says. 

“Hahaha! Looks like you two managed to make up… and then some.”

_ He knows.  _ I blush and Ryuuji quickly removes his arm from my shoulder.  _ How does he know? _

“Rin!”  _ Oh, great… not him!  _ “Come on, it’s time to go,” says Yukio, herding me toward the bus. 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, Yuki,” I grumble. “Bye, Mr. Suguro!” I call back to Ryuuji’s dad. 

Yukio gets on the bus behind me, and very pointedly sits next to me. “Rin,” he scolds quietly, “stop letting that rooster flirt with you.”

“I don’t know what you mean, brother,” I tell him innocently. 

“Yes, you  _ do _ . You’re smarter than that, Rin. I don’t like how much he’s been touching you recently, and if I have to do something about it, I will. It’s my job to protect you from guys like him.”

This is infuriating, for some reason. I glare at my twin. “Maybe I can protect myself from guys I don’t like,” I growl. “Did you ever think of that, brother? Maybe if you weren’t so intent on thinking that I’m weak, you’d see that!”

“ _ You’re not weak, Rin! _ ” Kuro pipes up from my lap, climbing into my arms.

I hug him. “Aw, thanks, Kuro!” I press my lips to the top of his head, between his ears, then glare at Yukio. “See, Yuki? Even Kuro recognizes my strength.  _ And  _ he loves me enough to tell me so.”

“He did  _ not  _ tell you that.”

“Yes he did!”

“ _ Yes I did! _ ” Kuro hisses at Yukio.

“It’s not  _ my  _ fault you can’t hear him. It’s not  _ my  _ fault you were a weak fetus, and didn’t inherit any demonic powers like I did.”

“I  _ know  _ it’s not your fault,” Yukio sighs. 

“Then you don’t believe me when I translate for you? Is that it? Or is it that you really don’t trust me to take care of myself, and won’t accept anyone’s opinion that I’m strong, when  _ you _ , as my  _ twin _ , should know better than anyone?” Yukio doesn’t have an answer for that. “Whatever, Yuki. Whenever you feel like you want to apologize, you can braid my hair. I don’t feel like having it down right now.” I turn away from him and look out the window. As an added bonus, it’ll be in front of everyone, and they’ll probably have another reason to tease him. 

I notice Ryuuji exchanging a few words with his father, and by the time he gets on the bus, he’s blushing slightly. I decide I’m not going to ask about it. 

The bus begins to move when everyone is on board, and my brother and I sit next to each other in silence. I’m not looking at him— I’ve still got my eyes fixed out the window. 

After a few minutes, however, I feel his large, familiar hands gathering up my long hair, and combing through it. I almost smile. This is normal for us. This is him apologizing right now. 

He separates my hair into three parts, and begins the braiding process. Left side over middle, right side over middle, repeat until the entire length is done. When he finally ties it off with one of the rubber bands that he always seems to have in his pocket, he speaks. 

“Am I forgiven?” he asks quietly. 

I turn away from the window long enough to pull my braid in front of my face and find it satisfactorily neat. I kiss Yukio’s cheek. “You are forgiven.”

  
  


Ryuuji POV

Through the bus window, I can see the twins sitting next to each other, and they’re arguing about something that I can’t hear. 

“So,” says Dad quietly but slyly, “have you kissed her yet?”

“Dad!”

“Hey, all I’m saying is that you obviously like her,” he says, putting up his hands in surrender. “I’m not surprised. She’s a very beautiful and wonderful young lady.”

“Just drop it, okay? I don’t need your matchmaking advice,” I say, annoyed. For one thing, I already know she likes me in return. For another thing, she became my girlfriend two days ago. 

“Are you sure? Because you’re becoming a man now, and it looks like you’re falling for a woman who is likely to be claimed by someone else. Who knows? She might even have another lucky guy she likes. I just think—”

“Dad. Seriously. I  _ don’t _ need your advice.” I glare at him, trying to tell him without using the actual words. 

Finally, he fully comprehends that  _ I’m _ the lucky guy she likes. “I see… Well, I’m proud of you, my son!” Dad grins. “Just one thing, if you do decide to go further in your relationship, please remember to use protection, because I don’t want to be a grandfather too soon, and make sure you have her full consent, because—”

“Dad!” Everyone else has already boarded the bus. “I need to leave now. I’ll see you later.” I get on the bus, blushing at the last thing Dad said. To think that Rin and I would… well, do  _ that.  _ I’m not going to lie, the thought of it is tempting. But I also want to wait and see if we do end up staying together. I’d rather be married first, honestly. Some people might call me old-fashioned, but I don’t want something to happen before we’re ready. And besides, we’re both still fifteen. We have a few years before I’m going to want to even think about bringing up something like that to Rin. 

A few minutes after the bus starts moving, I notice a peculiar sight: Mr. Okumura braiding Rin’s hair. It’s mesmerizing. I didn’t think she was kidding, at that training camp, when she said her brother did her braid, but it was pretty unexpected. Now I  _ know _ she wasn’t kidding. Mr. Okumura knows what he’s doing with his hands, I’ll give him that. He plaits her hair so neatly and professionally, that I wouldn’t be surprised if he would choose to go into hairdressing as a career later in life instead of exorcism. 

When he finishes, he says something quietly to Rin. She inspects the braid, kisses her brother’s cheek, and replies just as quietly. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter. Although… it looks like she’s forgiving him for something, probably whatever they were arguing about earlier. 

  
  


Rin POV

“Let’s see,” says Shura once we’re at the train station. “Okay, guys! If you thought we were gonna board the Shinkansen and head straight back to True Cross Academy, then you were wrong, big time! Right now, I’m gonna have all of you buy a swimsuit!” She points at a store behind her, with swimwear on display. 

The confusion is almost tangible.  _ Buy a swimsuit? What is she talking about?  _

But, obediently, all the exorcists and esquires go into the store and buy swimsuits. It isn’t long before we understand why we had to purchase swimwear. 

“The beach!” Renzo shouts gleefully. “I’ve been waiting for this! Summer! The beach! And—”

The pervert doesn’t have to say it. All he has to do is look at me and Izumo. The two of us are wearing bikinis, and they’re just about the same style. Well-fitting bottoms, and a sturdy top with straps that criss-cross in the back so it’ll stay in place. The only differences: hers is striped while mine is solid black, and mine is larger than hers to accommodate for my curves. Kuro is perched on my shoulder. 

“Shut up, you creep,” Izumo tells Renzo in disgust. “Don’t you dare come within a 2 meter radius of us.”

But Renzo just cries happily as he kneels by the waterline. “Oh, Wadatsumi, god of the seas! Thank you!” he shouts. 

“Why is he so happy after being told that…?” Ryuuji wonders. 

“I really respect that part of him,” says Konekomaru.  _ What’s to respect about a perverted, womanizing scumbag like Renzo? _ I wonder. 

“Bon, let me tell you something,” says Renzo, putting his hands on Ryuuji’s shoulders. “When a girl is wearing a swimsuit, it means she’s practically naked!”

“What are you saying?! Calm down!” Ryuuji shouts, but he’s blushing like crazy. 

“Shima, we didn’t come here to swim,” Koneko points out. “We’re on a mission, after all…”

“Even so, I’m thankful that Shiemi told me she wouldn’t be wearing a swimsuit,” I sigh in relief. “She was too embarrassed.” I’m happy that she’ll be more protected from Renzo than Izumo and I am. 

“Eh?!” Renzo cries out. “Such cruelty! Being naked is fine! Come on!”

“I’d better not see you within a five meter radius of her,” I say dangerously. He is  _ not  _ getting near my precious innocent Shiemi. She’s like the sister I never had, and if I have to protect her, I will. 

Kuro jumps off my shoulders as we’re interrupted by the arrival of my brother, fixing prescription goggles over his eyes. Konekomaru has similar ones. But that’s not the reason all of us stare at him. “Mr. Okumura…?” Renzo says tentatively. 

“Look, I’ll give you points for style, Yukio,” I tell my twin, “but that’s really…  _ not  _ what someone usually wears to the beach.” He’s wearing a polo shirt, cargo shorts, and a whole arsenal of guns on his back. 

Yukio just looks at me and takes in my bikini with distaste. “Don’t criticize what I’m wearing when you’re in  _ that _ ,” he counters. “Why couldn’t you have worn a one-piece? Honestly, you’re so indecent sometimes, sister…”

I roll my eyes. “You’re such a prude, brother. For your information, the back of a one-piece goes too high. Did you forget that I have a  _ tail _ ? A one piece would hurt.” I spin around and wiggle my tail in his face. Which is easy to do, since my hair is still braided and is resting just over my right shoulder. “See how low these bottoms are? Complete freedom and comfort is what this is called, not that you’d know anything about that anyway, being such a prude. And it’s not like this suit doesn’t cover everything that it should.”

“Alright, Rin, I get it,” grumbles Yukio. “But shouldn’t you be wearing a coverup or something…?”

“Yuki! Enough!” I snap. “If anything, you’re the only one who needs an outfit change. Now take that shirt off, and enjoy the beach like you ought to!”

“Rin, enough,” Yukio scolds in annoyance. “Just leave it alone, and cover yourself.”

“I will do no such thing,” I insist resolutely. “And if you won’t take your shirt off, I  _ will  _ burn it while it’s still on your body.” Yukio looks like he wants to argue, but keeps his mouth shut, and reluctantly removes his polo shirt.

“That’s the spirit, teach,” Renzo congratulates him, throwing his arm over my twin’s shoulders like they’re the best of friends. “Loosen up a little! And anyway, don’t you think it would be a shame to cover up a magnificent body like Rin’s? She is our princess, a goddess in need of worship and—” 

A word of wisdom: if a guy is harassing you and won’t stop, a good punch to the stomach will effectively get him to leave you alone. Especially if it’s your boyfriend doing the punching. “Shut up, Shima,” growls Ryuuji. His arm still around my brother, Renzo collapses into Yukio’s side, doubled over in pain. But, ruthless, Yukio takes the opportunity to dump Renzo on the ground, a look of disgust on his face. Yukio clearly doesn’t like Renzo talking about me like that, and neither does Ryuuji. 

“Aww!” I groan. “Looks like you beat me to the punch again, Ryu!”  _ I wanted to be the one to hit Renzo this time! _

“Alright, you guys, listen up!” Shura shouts through a megaphone, interrupting us. “Today’s target to be exorcised is a kraken! All the tourists have been evacuated. Our plan will be executed here, at the Atami Sunrise beach! Alright. I’ll leave the rest of the briefing to Satou from the information management division!”

“Right!” Satou steps up, taking the megaphone. “Just past midnight this morning, there was an accident off the pacific coast involving an open-sea fishing vessel being capsized. Shortly after that, the Third Regional Coast Guard Department detected a large mysterious object on their sonars. The True Cross Order then received a request for an official data analysis from the Coast Guard headquarters. And early this morning, the True Cross Order concluded that it was a kraken. In order to lure the man-eating kraken out, we’ve been scattering human blood off Sagami Bay for about an hour now. But don’t worry, it’s from a blood bank. Currently, the kraken is approaching Atami Sunrise beach.”

“Great, thanks,” says Shura, snatching the megaphone back. “Although there’s no real plan, those ranked above middle second class will deal with the kraken. Middle second class exorcists and below, including the esquires, will be assigned to eradicate the squid emitted from the kraken’s suckers. That’s about it. Until then, feel free to stay in your holiday mood. Alright! Dismissed!”

As the crowd disperses, I notice a familiar figure.  _ What? No way…  _ I approach her. 

“Shiemi?” She jolts when she hears her name. This is unbelievable. “You’re wearing a swimsuit!” She also has a cute little ponytail in her blonde hair. 

“I… I just thought I shouldn’t be embarrassed about little things like this…!” Shiemi stammers adorably. 

“I see.” I grin. “Well, you look very cute in it! It’d be a shame for you to not utilize your looks to the fullest!”

She blushes. “Rin… let’s play in the sea together!”

“Yeah! Let’s play!” I agree wholeheartedly. I grab her hand and tug her toward the water, calling out to Renzo and Konekomaru, who are already there. “Hey!”

“Huh? Moriyama?!” Koneko says in surprise as we splash into the surf. 

“Woah! It’s warm!” Shiemi exclaims in shock. 

“So nice…” moans Renzo in pleasure, his nose dripping a little blood. “Rin and Moriyama are nice too…”

“Shima, you should at least decide on a single target,” suggests Konekomaru in exasperation. 

The four of us start tossing around a beach ball, but it isn’t long before Ryuuji (rather angrily, but with a mischievous grin on his face) carries Izumo down to the water on an inflatable tube and tosses her in. 

She screams as she crashes into the water. She sputters as she surfaces. “Hey! You super strong gorilla!” Izumo yells angrily. 

I’d ask if she’s okay, but I can’t breathe because I’m laughing too hard. Renzo and Konekomaru are laughing too, while Ryuuji looks smug. So Shiemi is the one to go to her aid and help her up. Eventually, we all start playing with the ball again, tossing it between ourselves. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

When the crowd disperses, I don’t feel like going in the water yet, so I stand under a nearby umbrella. Kamiki sits beside me on an inflatable tube. 

I watch as Rin talks to Moriyama, who has evidently decided to wear a swimsuit. Rin looks happy while Moriyama is clearly embarrassed. After a minute or two, Rin grabs Moriyama’s hand and tugs her toward the water, announcing their presence to Shima and Koneko, who are already in the shallows. 

Shima looks happy to have both of them there, while Konekomaru is just exasperated. The four of them start tossing around a beach ball. 

Rin looks like she’s enjoying herself. I’m glad she is. I sigh. At the same time, Kamiki exhales loudly beside me. I look over, and she has an absolutely disgusted look on her face. 

“What’s up?” I ask out of curiosity. 

“This sucks,” she complains. “I sighed at the same time as the gorilla.”

_ Again with the gorilla stuff?!  _ That pisses me off. “Hmph!”  _ I’ll show her what happens when she insults me like that! _ So I lift her up, inflatable tube and all, and march her down to the water. 

“Hey! What?! What are you… Stop!” Kamiki protests. But I refuse to stop. This is what she deserves. I throw her into the water. She screams as she crashes into the waves. She sputters as she surfaces. “Hey! You super strong gorilla!” Kamiki yells angrily. 

_ That’s what you get, Kamiki,  _ I think smugly. Rin, Shima, and Konekomaru are laughing, so it’s Moriyama who goes up to Kamiki to ask if she’s alright. What’s strange is that I thought Rin might be jealous, or angry at me for doing that. After all, I  _ was _ messing around with, and could have hurt, her friend. But Kamiki doesn’t seem injured, save for her pride, and I suppose it was a little funny. Eventually, we all start playing with the ball again, tossing it between ourselves. 

  
  


Rin POV

_ This is fun, _ I think as I send the ball to Ryuuji,  _ spending time with everyone like this. I never really had the chance to do this stuff with other kids my age.  _

“Yuki!” Shiemi calls, waving at my brother on the beach. “Let’s play together!”

I turn just in time to see him politely declining. “Don’t bother, Shiemi,” I tell her. “Yukio’s too busy being an exorcist, so he doesn’t have time for fun.”

“For a moment there, Rin,” says Renzo as the ball comes back to him and he bounces it into the circle again, “you kinda sounded like his disappointed mother.”

“His  _ mother _ ?” I ask as Ryuuji hits the ball. 

“Come to think of it, isn’t Rin the mom friend?” Izumo asks. 

“Who decided  _ that _ ?!”

“No one decided, it’s just how you are,” shrugs Izumo as if it’s obvious. 

“Shiemi! Tell me at least  _ you  _ don’t believe this nonsense!” I beg. 

“Well… uh… um…” she says, blushing. “I kinda did notice a motherly aura coming from you the day we first met, when you comforted me and swore to help me despite not really knowing me very well…”

“But that’s what any decent person would have done!” I protest. “What else have I done that’s ‘motherly’?!”

“Like when you saved Bon from the leaper,” says Konekomaru. 

“Or when you protected Shiemi from me,” contributes Izumo. 

“Or how proud of me you were when I summoned Nii for the first time,” adds Shiemi. 

“Protecting the girls without a second thought in the bathroom when they were attacked,” says Ryuuji. 

“Stopping my and Suguro’s fighting in class,” continues Izumo. 

“Going out on your own to draw off the ghouls and protect us during the esquire exam,” says Renzo. 

“Caring for Moriyama after the esquire exam,” says Konekomaru. 

“And last but certainly not least,” concludes Renzo, “cooking us a camp dinner so good that Bon actually proposed to you.”

If I wasn’t blushing before, I certainly am now. I think I literally have smoke rising from my head, which is threatening to ignite with my blue flames. “T-that stuff…” I stammer. “It wasn’t a big deal…”  _ It’s so embarrassing to be called out on everything ‘motherly’ I’ve done up until now! _ “Besides, I never had a mother growing up, so I don’t really know what they’re like… I’ve only had my dad…”

“Still, though,” says Izumo, “you’re pretty much the equivalent of a mom already.”

“So just accept your role as our mom friend, okay Rin?” Renzo suggests brightly. 

I sigh. I might as well, since they won’t stop with this. “Yeah, fine,” I reluctantly agree. “Should I even dare ask if there’s a dad friend?”

“I’d say either Mr. Okumura or Bon,” ponders Konekomaru. “I mean, you did call Mr. Okumura ‘Dad’ once, didn’t you?”

_ Yukio or Ryuuji?  _ “Okay, that’s true, and I understand why you’d say Yukio, since he acts like a responsible, workaholic adult now, but honestly that’s kinda gross because it’s borderline incestuous if I’m the mom friend. I know I called him ‘dad’ at the esquire exam, but I was kinda just kidding around,” I admit. “But why Ryuuji?”

“Well, first of all, because you call him ‘Ryuuji’ now,” says Renzo with a sly, knowing grin on his face. 

_ Crap. He’s about five seconds from guessing the truth. _ Fortunately, I have the perfect rebuttal. “He’s not special, Renzo,” I answer, rolling my eyes. “I call all my friends by their first names.” The only one in cram school who I don’t call by their first name is Takara, because first of all, I don’t know it, and second of all, he’s not really  _ anyone’s _ friend. 

“That aside, I still think Bon’s a good candidate for the dad friend,” says Renzo. “Mr. Okumura can be like an uncle or something.”

Suddenly, I realize what this means, and I start giggling. “I guess I’m going to have to tell my dad that he just became the grandpa of five teenagers…” Those five teenagers being, of course, Renzo, Konekomaru, Shiemi, Izumo, and Takara. Of course, that is, if Yukio is the uncle friend and Ryuuji is the dad friend. At this, everyone else starts laughing with me. 

Suddenly a siren blares through the air, startling everyone. I’m guessing the kraken is near. All the exorcists and esquires assemble. 

“It’s here!” Shura announces. “It may be big, but after the fight with the Impure King, it should be small fry to you guys.” To which ‘you guys’ is she referring? Me and Ryuuji? Because we’re the ones who ultimately fought it in the end, and I took it down with the help of Ucchusma as Ryuuji kept up the barrier that prevented the miasma from spreading. “Middle second class exorcists and esquires, prepare your flamethrowers! Until the enemy closes in, don’t get into the water!” I can’t believe they gave  _ me  _ a flamethrower. This is a downgrade, honestly, since this thing has such a narrow range of impact and a limited supply of flames. On the other hand, I can burn as much as I want with however much firepower I need. 

The kraken is sitting on top of the water, not moving, as if just watching us. The helicopters hovering around it look like flies in comparison to its great mass. 

“It’s not coming this way…?!”

Suddenly it disappears beneath the surface. “It dived underwater?”

“So it’s not heading for the beach?!”

Then, with no warning, an enormous tentacle shoots straight up and slams into one of the helicopters. 

“It attacked the helicopter!”

“What’s happening?!”

“Shall we help them?!”

“No!” Shura orders. “Don’t enter the water while the kraken’s body is submerged! If it unleashes its maelstrom you’ll be sleeping with the fishes!”

“I’m not going to just stand here and watch!” I protest.  _ I can’t do that. Not now. _ I take off running toward one of the boats at the shoreline. 

“Rin!” I ignore Shiemi as I hop into a boat and get the motor running. “Rin! Where are you going?!” Suddenly she’s right here, with her hands on the motor as if she can stop the boat from moving by herself. 

“Shiemi?!”

“I know what you’re feeling, but you can’t go!” Then the boat starts moving, with Shiemi still attached. She screams. 

“Shiemi!” I pull her into the boat so she doesn’t get ripped to shreds by the propeller. Together, we head toward the kraken. We’re almost there when I hear his voice calling out to me.

“Sister!”

I turn, and see that we’re not alone. “Brother,” I greet him calmly. I know what I’m doing. 

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Yukio shouts angrily. “Follow your orders! This time, I won’t let you have it your way!”

I frown at him for a few seconds, silent.  _ Go ahead and stop me then, Yukio,  _ I think. 

Then I leap high into the air, and draw my sword. With one slash, I sever the tentacle that’s holding onto the helicopter. With my blue flames burning it, the severed tentacle comes crashing down into the ocean. 

I, too, plunge deep into the water, then swim up to the surface. I gasp for air when I emerge near the boat, where Yukio has joined Shiemi. “Help me up!”

“I seriously don’t get you,” scolds Yukio in disappointment, shaking his head slightly as he holds out his hand to help me into the boat. “Why did you unsheathe your sword so readily…?!”

“What’s with you?!” I snap, sheathing Kurikara. “People were saved!”

“Rin! Yuki! Below us!” Shiemi warns us in alarm. 

I just have enough time to look down and see the inky blackness closing in around us from the water. Then the tentacle rises quickly from the waves, striking the bottom of the boat and sending it, as well as my brother and my friend, flying into the air. They all come crashing down. “Yukio! Shiemi!” I scream. 

Yukio surfaces a little ways away from me, carrying an unconscious Shiemi on his back. “Rin!”

“Yukio!” I start swimming over. “Are you alright?! What about Shiemi?!”  _ Please tell me she’s okay…  _

“I’m fine. Shiemi’s just unconscious. Anyway, we should head back to shore, otherwise—” Yukio is cut off by the long, thin island that suddenly appears beneath him. “What?! Corals?!”

“What is this?!” I clamber onto the corals. 

“I don’t know… but I doubt the kraken did it.”

“It stretches all the way to that island!” I point out. “Whatever they are, the ones in the back are collapsing.” I don’t need to see them; I can hear them crashing back down into the water. 

“Eh?!”

“Keep moving! I’ll leave Shiemi to you!” I begin running along the sharp coral pathway, toward the island. I think my feet are getting a bit cut up from the coral, but I’ll be fine. I’ll just heal myself anyway. 

“Hey! Wait a minute!” Yukio scoops up Shiemi and follows me. 

We reach the end soon enough. “This is the entrance…?” I say, staring down at the hole that leads to an underwater tunnel to a place no one knows. 

“The cliffs on the island are impossible to climb,” notes my brother. They’re almost straight up. 

We only have one option. “Let’s go!” I take a deep breath and dive into the underwater tunnel. Yukio follows with Shiemi.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin fights the kraken alongside Wadatsumi and the other exorcists, has a brief heart-to-heart with Yukio, and cooks squid yakisoba.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I decided to do a double update today since I finished editing both chapters. Enjoy!

Ryuuji POV

“Don’t enter the water while the kraken’s body is submerged! If it unleashes its maelstrom you’ll be sleeping with the fishes!” Ms. Kirigakure orders firmly. 

“I’m not going to just stand here and watch!” Rin protests. Then she takes off running toward one of the boats at the shoreline. 

“Rin!” Moriyama shouts, as Rin hops into a boat and gets the motor running. “Rin! Where are you going?!” Suddenly she’s right there, with her hands on the motor as if she can stop the boat from moving by herself. 

“Shiemi?!”

“I know what you’re feeling, but you can’t go!” Then the boat starts moving, with Moriyama still attached. She screams. 

“Shiemi!” Rin pulls her into the boat so she doesn’t get ripped to shreds by the propeller, then, together, they head toward the monster. 

“Rin! What are you doing?!” Ms. Kirigakure shouts. But already, Rin’s too far away to hear her. 

“Not again!” Mr. Okumura yells angrily, running down and getting a boat for himself. He takes off after his sister. 

“Yukio! Wait up!” Ms. Kirigakure calls after him, but he doesn’t listen.

Mr. Okumura reaches Rin just as she’s approaching the tentacle. He shouts something at her that I can’t hear. She simply looks at him for a moment before leaping high into the air, towards the tentacle, drawing her sword. Her flames ignite all over her body and her sword, and she severs the tentacle that’s holding onto the helicopter. Burning with blue flames, Rin and the tentacle come crashing down into the water. 

She surfaces near the boat, where Mr. Okumura has joined Moriyama, and Mr. Okumura holds out a hand to help her up as she sheathes the Koma sword. 

Suddenly, all three of them freeze, and a second later, the surface explodes as a tentacle shoots out and sends the boat flying. 

Mr. Okumura surfaces with Moriyama, and Rin swims over. But before she can get to them, a landmass appears from below our teacher. Rin clambers on top of it, and after a moment, starts running toward the island the small landmass seems to be connected to. 

And then the twins, as well as Moriyama (who Mr. Okumura has been carrying), disappear beneath the island, and that’s the last I see of them for a while. 

  
  


Rin POV:

I’m just about out of breath when I see a circle of light.  _ There’s my way out.  _ I swim towards it, and I’m delighted when my head breaks the surface. I gleefully inhale the air. Sometimes, you never know just how much you need something until you don’t have it. Like oxygen. 

Yukio is right behind me, dragging Shiemi out with him. “Shiemi!”

Something’s wrong. “How… How is she…?”

“She’s not breathing…” Yukio is kneeling beside her, looking like he’s getting into doctor-mode. He looks like he’s getting ready to perform CPR…

_ Wait a minute.  _ “Hold on! You’re not thinking about doing mouth-to-mouth on Shiemi, are you?!”

“I… I guess there’s no other way!” My brother gulps guiltily as he leans in toward her. But before he can touch his mouth to hers, she coughs, spewing seawater. “Thank goodness…” Yukio sounds more relieved that he doesn’t have to press his lips to hers than he is about her being alive. “Are you alright?”

Shiemi coughs as he hands her a towel. “Yeah… thank you… Yuki…”

But, that out of the way, he rounds on me. “Just how many times do I have to repeat myself?!” Yukio shouts. “Cut it out! Do you have  _ any  _ idea how much trouble you cause others when you just rush out headfirst without thinking?! You even dragged Shiemi into it!”

“Ah… actually, I was the one who…” says Shiemi quietly, but no one’s listening. 

“I  _ did _ think about it before I did it!” I argue. 

“Then what  _ were _ you thinking?! Do tell!” Before I can answer him, his phone rings. He answers. “Hello?” The person on the other line says something. “Okay.” He takes the phone from his ear and presses the speakerphone button. 

Immediately, Shura’s voice starts screaming at us from the other end. “Stupid idiots! You three do whatever you want when I’m not around! Especially Rin!” I guess it’s not much of a stretch to say that I should have expected she’d be angry with us. 

“Okay, sorry,” apologizes Yukio. 

“Have the people from the helicopter been rescued?” I ask.

“Tch! You’ve sure got guts! But yeah, they’re safe!”

I sigh. “That’s a relief.”

“You really will be executed,” she tells me. It’s not a threat. It’s a fact. I’m already scheduled for execution, though if I had any hope of that being canceled by my defeating the Impure King, it’s most surely gone now. 

“My situation couldn’t possibly get any worse than this,” I say. “But the matter will be settled as long as I do  _ something _ , right?”

“The situation here is different from that of the Impure King!” Shura insists. 

“Someone was going to be  _ killed  _ just a few minutes ago! I can’t just sit and watch, doing nothing to help! Everyone else must have felt the same way!” I argue. 

“Anyway, Shura,” says Yukio, “give us some instructions.” It’s time to get back to the task at hand, I suppose. 

“Where are you guys?” Shura asks. 

“We’re on a small island. Looking from the beach, it’s slightly on the left,” answers my brother. 

“That’s good!” Shura says approvingly. “According to the reports, these waters show evidence of faith in Wadatsumi from about 1500 years ago. Although that has already been forgotten, the island where you guys are now was once the place where Wadatsumi was worshipped.”

“That ancient Wadatsumi… is it still alive?” Yukio asks. 

“I’m afraid so. The kraken won’t go near the beach because of the Wadatsumi. On that island, there should be a shrine for Wadatsumi. Contact me when you’ve found it.” Shura hangs up. 

Yukio stares at his phone silently. “So, in other words…” I begin. 

“Our orders are to find the shrine of Wadatsumi that protects this side of the sea,” finishes Yukio. “In any case, let’s start searching the island.”

“Er… could it be this child here is Wadatsumi?” Shiemi asks. 

“Muuuohh…” mumbles the ‘child’. 

Both my and Yukio’s jaws drop. To catch  _ both  _ of the Okumura twins off guard like this is a rare occurrence. Yukio moves first. “Shiemi! Get away from that thing!” he shouts, aiming one of his many guns at the gigantic demon made of seaweed and coral and all sorts of marine plant life.

I just grip my sword, preparing to unsheathe it. “No!” Shiemi protests. “You’re mistaken! Stop! This child saved us! Right, Nii?” 

“Nii!” the little familiar on her shoulder answers cheerfully. 

“It seems like it’s Nii’s relative from the sea,” explains Shiemi. 

Actually, I think she might be right. Now that I look at the thing, it  _ does  _ seem to resemble Nii a lot. And despite its size, it’s actually pretty cute. It even has a big, seashell nose on its face. 

Yukio clearly recognizes it, though. “Sea monk…” he whispers, shocked. “It has the ability to control the growth of reef organisms, similar to that of Shiemi’s familiar. Then that coral rack was made by a sea monkey…?”

“Muuoh…”

Suddenly the sea monkey takes Shiemi’s hand and starts tugging her away. “Woah! What’s wrong, sea monkey?!” Shiemi cries. 

“Muuoh muuoh!”

“Shiemi!” Yukio yells. 

“Come on, let’s follow it,” I tell him. It’s the only logical thing to do. 

“Wait! Wait!” Shiemi protests as she’s dragged along and we follow close behind her. 

“Are you alright, Shiemi?” Yukio asks. 

She turns back and grins. “Yeah. I think it likes me!” It certainly does seem to like her.  _ She certainly has a way with cute nature demons, doesn’t she? _

“Where does it intend to take us…?” Yukio wonders. 

But I think I know. “There’s a huge demon up ahead,” I tell him. 

My brother just looks at me with a curious expression on his face. “How do you know that?”

“Well… I’ve kinda been able to sense it since earlier,” I explain. “It’s a new ability I just found out about while fighting the Impure King, but didn’t really think about until now. I guess it’s kinda like an internal demon GPS or something?” I can  _ definitely  _ sense the presence of other demons now. I never know  _ what _ will happen next with my abilities and powers. 

“Look, you two! Up ahead!” Shiemi exclaims. “We’ve reached the opening!” We emerge into a huge cavern. There’s an enormous skylight-like hole in the ceiling of the cave. Inside, we find a massive whale, it’s eyes closed, floating in the water. “A whale…?” Shiemi asks curiously. 

“It must be Wadatsumi,” concludes Yukio.

“Is it still alive…?” I wonder. 

Apparently it  _ is  _ still alive, because it opens its huge eyes. “I am Amatsumi Hiko,” it introduces itself. “I am only a guide. Nothing else.” 

“It spoke…?”

Amatsumi Hiko turns its enormous gaze to me, hearing my words. “You are of royal lineage.” The words sound like an accusation, but the whale’s tone doesn’t present it that way. It’s just a fact.  _ But how does he know? Can he sense my power? _ My tail swishes nervously behind me. “Please, lend me your strength to protect my territory from that deep-sea behemoth.” Suddenly I notice that Yukio has his phone out, and is holding it toward Amatsumi Hiko as if to record everything he’s saying.  _ He called Shura, _ I realize. “This long-forgotten old body is much weaker than before. If the enemy realizes that, I will be killed, and this territory will be abandoned.”

After a few seconds of silence, we realize that he’s done speaking. “That’s how it is, Shura,” says Yukio into his phone. 

“Ok.” We can clearly hear her, since she’s on speakerphone. “We’ll help!”

“Huh?!” Yukio clearly wasn’t expecting such a quick agreement. 

“Present offerings and pay homage to Wadatsumi. Haul the forgotten god back to the stage!” She hangs up. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

Everything is quiet for several minutes. Then Ms. Kirigakure, who was just on the phone, hangs up and makes an announcement through her loudspeaker. “Everyone, listen up! Okumura and the other two esquires will be assisting Wadatsumi. Everyone is on standby until Wadatsumi moves! Dismissed!”

While we wait for orders, we pass around some bentos. 

Shima looks jealous as he opens his bento box. “Mr. Okumura is alone with not one, but  _ two  _ hot girls, on an abandoned island,” he groans. “Why couldn’t that be me there too?!”

“Give it a rest,” I say grumpily. He’s so annoying sometimes. “He’s not into women. And in case you forgot, one of those girls is his sister.” But that’s not the only thing annoying me. 

“Looks like Bon’s mad again,” says Shima lightly. “I bet you’re thinking, ‘Rin’s doing whatever she wants to again,’ aren’t you?”

“No, I’m angry, but not about that,” I admit. “I’m actually pretty impressed by what she did.”

“Huh?!” Shima exclaims. 

“Bon… I understand how you feel!”

“Koneko too?!”

“When Rin ran out there,” continues Konekomaru, “I couldn’t help but feel some excitement!”

“Same here,” I agree. “She’s amazingly brave and strong, not to mention she really likes to take the initiative.”

“Bon has a crush,” sings Shima. 

“Shut up!” I know she’s already my girlfriend, but hearing someone who doesn’t know about us say it like that is still embarrassing. 

“Don’t be mad because I’m right!”

“That’s not the issue, here! It’s  _ that  _ guy who’s pissing me off so much!” I point angrily at the most silent, antisocial guy in class. 

Shima and Konekomaru look. “Huh? How come Takara isn’t even in his swimsuit?” He’s fully clothed! Who comes to the  _ beach _ in  _ summertime  _ while  _ fully clothed _ ?!

“He said his stomach hurts,” says Koneko.

“That’s an excuse the girls would use!” Shima complains. 

I shake my head in exasperation, and watch as a helicopter lowers a huge crate down into the island where Moriyama and the twins are. 

  
  


Rin POV:

A few minutes after Yukio hangs up with Shura, a helicopter lowers a huge crate down into the cavern where we and Amatsumi Hiko are, through the skylight. 

When we remove the lid, we see that it’s filled to the brim with food. “Even utensils!” I note. 

“Woah! Harvest veggies! They all look delicious!” Shiemi exclaims. 

“There’s a lot of miki,” says Yukio, “and Wadatsumi’s favorite cuttlefish.”

“Alright! Let’s get cooking!” I vote. 

“Yeah!” Shiemi agrees.

While Yukio goes off to clean and dry his guns, I (with Shiemi helping as much as she can) cook up a storm, using everything in the crate. 

It takes a couple hours, but I finally have prepared a meal worthy of a god. I know it’s worthy, because when we feed it to Amatsumi Hiko, he gulps it down happily and lets out an enormous, satisfied belch, right in my face. I can’t take it as anything  _ but _ a huge compliment. 

“That’s great,” says Shiemi, after we made our offering. “Amatsumi Hiko looks really happy! He seems satisfied with Rin’s great meal battle…”

“But what difference does that make?” Yukio asks. 

_ What difference does it make that he liked my cooking? Well, for one thing, he was probably happier with the offering, because it tasted good. Yukio underestimates the power of a good meal. Speaking of which…  _ “Hey!” I call out, balancing bowls of food on my hands, arms, head, and tail. My tail might be sensitive, but it does have a little bit of strength. “It’s about time for us to eat too!”

“I’m glad!” Shiemi say in relief. “I’m so hungry!”

I set everything down. “Dig in, everyone!”

“Thank you for the meal, Mom!” Shiemi says as she picks up a bowl and starts eating. 

Yukio has a blank look on his face. “‘Mom’?”

“Hm? Oh, right, you were too busy being a stick in the mud to play with us and be a part of the conversation,” I remember. “Apparently, I’ve been named the mom friend.”

Yukio’s face goes blank for a moment. Then comprehension fills his eyes, and he nods understandingly. “Yeah. That makes sense. You’re always on my case about eating and sleeping properly.”

“And for good reason, Yukio, you should eat something.” I hold out a bowl and chopsticks to him. “And put away your weapons while we’re eating! They’re clean enough, you worked on them the entire time I was cooking!”

He rolls his eyes and takes the bowl and chopsticks. “Okay,  _ Mom _ .”

“And don’t you use that tone with me! You’re a growing man, you need your nutrition!”

Yukio doesn’t say anything. He just scarfs down his food and returns to his guns. “Be prepared to move according to plan. And don’t cause trouble for anyone,” he says as he continues wiping down a gun. “I’m different from you, sister.”

“I guess you’re still angry, huh?”

“I’m not mad. I’m just in a daze. Aren’t you afraid of yourself?! If I were in your shoes, I would’ve already gone crazy.”

“But you’re  _ not _ in my shoes. And I haven’t gone crazy! I refuse to! How many people would be affected? I won’t let myself cause any more trouble for them than I already am! I just want to use my power to do something good!”

“You’ve been saying that from the start! After defeating the Impure King, you’ve gotten carried away!”

“Carried away?! Are you kidding me?!”

“You’ve just had a run of good luck lately! That’s  _ Satan’s  _ power! The power that almost killed our father!”

“I know that! I was  _ there _ that night, brother! No one understands Satan’s power better than I do! I was  _ born _ with it! I  _ watched  _ as it  _ took over _ Dad’s body! Don’t you  _ realize _ that?! What’s with you?! What about me is making you so angry?!”

“Everything!”

“Stop it!” Shiemi screams. “Don’t fight!”

Immediately, Yukio and I fall silent in surprise. It’s rare to hear her get so worked up like this. “Ah… Sorry!” Yukio apologizes. 

“Sorry…” I echo. “I’ll just… go cool my head a bit.” I get up and walk toward Amatsumi Hiko. 

“Rin!” Shiemi calls after me, but I don’t turn around or acknowledge her. 

I was out of line. Both of us were. But what’s eating at Yukio so much? What’s got him so riled up when it comes to my power? I study Amatsumi Hiko’s vast assortment of scars and wonder where they all came from as I listen in on the conversation behind me. 

“I always thought that you were the kind who would never get angry, Yuki,” says Shiemi gently. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes again. “You saw a bad side of me.”

“No. Because neither one of you talk about yourselves, you probably didn’t know where to start.”  _ We don’t talk about ourselves, huh? I suppose that’s true, kinda. We couldn’t exactly come out and say, ‘Oh, by the way, our biological father is Satan,’ to everyone. We’d have been locked up and probably killed.  _ “Yuki, have a proper chat with Rin. You… you probably think I’m being nosy, but I just think that things between you and Rin aren’t as they should be right now. She’s your sister, right? Shouldn’t you two get along?” She’s right. We  _ should  _ get along. That’s why I’m already heading back to my brother. “I’ll just be over there!” Shiemi stands up and walks away. 

“Shiemi…!”

“Yukio.” He looks up at me with a small frown on his face. “I have something to say to you.” He says nothing, waiting for me to continue. “I’m sorry,” I begin. “Since Dad went into that coma… and even though he woke up, you’ve been worried about me. I’ve been worried, too. But after fighting the Impure King, I’ve realized something.” I hold out my hand, palm up, and summon a small flame. “This is who I am. Rin Okumura, daughter of Satan, and wielder of the blue flames. If I don’t acknowledge the flames, I won’t be able to move forward. Therefore, from now on I will use them to fight. And… Yukio, I want  _ you  _ to acknowledge my flames too!”

Yukio grits his teeth. “Sister…”

“There are signs of him!” Amatsumi Hiko interrupts Yukio urgently. 

Suddenly a scream echoes through the chamber. “Shiemi!” Yukio cries out. 

“You’ve gotta be  _ kidding  _ me!” I yell, unsheathing the Koma sword. 

“The two of you, save the girl,” says Amatsumi Hiko. “Allow me to deal with my enemy.”

And then, Amatsumi Hiko, the great old whale, slams his enormous head into the top of our cave. Rubble crashes down around us as he breaks through and emerges on top of the island. 

I exchange a brief glance with my brother before we both scramble after Amatsumi Hiko. We make it to the top of the island, only to see Shiemi dangling, upside down, by a tentacle wrapped around her foot. 

“Shiemi!” I scream. 

“This is my responsibility…!” Yukio gasps in horror. 

“When I start fighting, I will not be able to hold back,” Amatsumi Hiko tells us. Only now do I notice that he has four stout legs, which is unusual for a whale-shaped being. “Save that graceful young lady quickly!”

“Both of us will help! Do you have any good strategy, brother?” I ask Yukio. 

“You will be on standby behind me, sister,” replies Yukio. 

“Yes, sir!” I sheath Kurikara, douse my flames, and give a playful little salute, but I fully intend to follow my twin’s orders. 

“Listen, Rin, I… I can’t acknowledge the matter about your flames,” states Yukio.

“Now’s not the time for that!” I can sense it. 

“The kraken is coming!” Amatsumi Hiko informs us. “Well, then, I’m going!”

“Wait!” Yukio yells. Shiemi still has the kraken’s tentacle wrapped around her foot. Amatsumi Hiko lunges forward anyway. He lands on the kraken, his whole body slamming into it. “Shiemi!” Yukio screams. 

Wait. Above us… “Eh?”

Shiemi screams as she falls down toward us. “Nii, please!” she begs. 

“Nii!” Suddenly, Nii explodes into a larger version of himself, creating a soft cushion for Shiemi to land on. 

She blinks. “I… I’m back!” Shiemi says in disbelief. 

I’m amazed. “She relied on herself to stay alive and make it back to us…!” I gasp as Yukio and I both gape at her.  _ I think I’m in love…  _ Instantly, I mentally slap myself.  _ No, stupid! You  _ have  _ a boyfriend already! You don’t need a girlfriend!  _

Meanwhile, Amatsumi Hiko and the kraken continue to crash around in the water, their fight escalating to a magnificent magnitude. Amatsumi Hiko sinks his huge teeth into the body of the kraken, wounding it. For a moment, I think he’s winning. But then the kraken retaliates, stabbing two of his tentacles through Amatsumi Hiko’s head. My jaw drops.  _ No way…  _ The kraken throws Amatsumi Hiko off itself, toward the beach. He crashes into the shallows.  _ I hope he didn’t hit anyone…  _

Suddenly, a mist is emitted from the kraken’s body, and dozens, if not hundreds, of clones appear around it. It’s impossible to tell which one is the real one. “Mimicry spit!” I can hear Shura’s voice ringing out over the water. She’s using her megaphone. “The mimicry spit is a death agony trait of a kraken which is on the verge of death! It will spawn countless dummies! Calm down! Those dummies will disappear if you hit the glabella of the real one. And once the real form is defeated, the dummies will disappear! Search for the real form! Esquires and those in lower first class and below, clean up the skid!” The people on the beach start attacking and dispelling the clones. 

Meanwhile, Yukio gets a call from Shura. It’s not on speakerphone this time, but it doesn’t need to be. “Yes, the three of us are fine,” he answers. “I’ll provide assistance.” And then he starts shooting at them with his sniper rifle, with shots that are deadly accurate. 

And then, from the suckers of one of the tentacles, small projectiles appear. I can’t imagine for a second that they’re not hostile. “Yukio!” 

“Rin,” says Yukio, focusing on his sniping, “after that incident with Mr. Neuhaus, I have regretted allowing you to start using your flames. You are gradually gaining consciousness as Satan’s child! What kind of consequences would it result in? As long as it’s not guaranteed that you won’t be dangerous, I can’t be at ease! I don’t approve! I promised Father I would protect you!”

_ What the heck? What was with that big speech just now?  _ I can’t help but snicker a little. “Man, brother, do you even  _ hear _ yourself when you talk?  _ That  _ monologue came out of nowhere. And in the middle of battle, too! So cliche! Even so… it’s fine if you think that way. I’m not telling you to change your opinion. Perhaps it’s neither wrong nor right. But we’re twins, aren’t we? And Dad isn’t always going to be around. Remember the last three months? So, in a pinch, you can think however you want! Let’s help each other!” I unsheathe the Koma sword and swing at the projectiles, which turn out to be tiny squids, all in one motion. The miniature krakens burst into blue flames. 

“Why…?”

“Don’t ‘why’ me! You’re my younger brother, right?!” I snap at him. 

My younger brother squeezes his eyes shut and grits his teeth in some sort of inner turmoil. Then he opens his eyes and focuses through his rifle’s scope. “I won’t forgive you if you let the skid get close!”

Wait. “Huh?!” Is he saying what I think he’s saying?! I turn around to look at him so I know he’s not joking. He’s not.

“I’ll focus on sniping.”

_ He’s trusting me to fight alongside him.  _ I grin, showing off my fangs. “Got it.” I turn confidently back to the kraken, armed and ready. 

“Shiemi, when the real form appears, I’ll give you a signal, so please borrow the sea monk’s power to negotiate with it.”

“Alright!”

“Hey! You nuisance!” I yell at the closest clone, the one right in front of me. Yukio shoots at it. But something strange happens. 

“The glabella!” Shiemi gasps in shock. “It was hit but it didn’t disappear!”

“This one is the real form!” Yukio deduces. 

“Then it’s time for me to take it down!” I take a running start, then leap as high and as far as I can toward the beast. “I’m gonna turn you into squid yakisoba!” I scream at it. Then I swing my sword down, and cut the whole thing in half. 

The kraken burns with my blue flames. It’s over. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

Three of the kraken’s tentacles extend from the sea. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Moriyama and the twins, and I can only deduce that something has happened. Not to mention that scream that came from the island just now…

“The kraken!” Ms. Kirigakure yells, jumping to her feet. “It’s finally arrived!”

“Was that Moriyama’s scream earlier?!” Shima shouts. 

And then we see the tiny blond figure dangling, upside down, from one of the tentacles. “What is she doing?!” Kamiki screeches. 

Suddenly there’s an explosion from the top of the island, and an enormous, whale-like figure emerges. “Wadatsumi has started moving!” Ms. Kirigakure says triumphantly. “All hands, get ready for battle!” she orders, drawing her sword from the seal on her chest. 

Two much smaller figures appear behind Wadatsumi, one of them, I’m happy to see, covered in blue flames. It’s Rin and her brother. 

It’s hard to tell what’s going on, but I can see them moving around a little bit. They seem to react, and exchange some words with Wadatsumi, and then, for some reason, Rin’s flames go out. 

_ She put away her sword? Why? _

Suddenly the kraken begins advancing, and Wadatsumi leaps forward, even though Moriyama is still attached to the kraken’s tentacle. But when Wadatsumi makes contact, Moriyama is thrown up into the air. She falls, right above the Okumuras. But right before she hits the ground, a large version of her familiar appears below her and cushions her fall. 

Meanwhile, Wadatsumi and the kraken continue to crash around in the water, their fight escalating to almost a divine magnitude. Wadatsumi sinks his huge teeth into the body of the kraken, wounding it. For a moment, it looks like he’s winning. But then the kraken retaliates, stabbing two of his tentacles through Wadatsumi’s head. The kraken throws Wadatsumi off itself, toward the beach. He crashes into the shallows, fortunately only spraying everyone with sea water. 

Suddenly, a mist is emitted from the kraken’s body, and dozens, if not hundreds, of clones appear around it. It’s impossible to tell which one is the real one. “Mimicry spit!” Ms. Kirigakure’s voice rings out over the water. She’s using her megaphone. “The mimicry spit is a death agony trait of a kraken which is on the verge of death! It will spawn countless dummies!”

“It  _ multiplied _ ?!” Shima yelps in horror. 

“Calm down! Those dummies will disappear if you hit the glabella of the real one. And once the real form is defeated, the dummies will disappear! Search for the real form! Esquires and those in lower first class and below, clean up the skid!” So, we all start attacking and dispelling the clones by using our flamethrowers. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Okumura provides assistance by shooting at the clones and the small projectiles, the skid, emerging from the suckers on their tentacles. He’s using a sniper rifle, with shots that are so accurate that I’m glad he’s not aiming at  _ me _ . 

I’m so focused on taking out the dummies that it’s actually a surprise when the real one goes up in blue flames, a few minutes into the fight. It seems like the twins found the real kraken, and Rin has just cut it in half. The clones all disappear. It’s all over. 

  
  


Rin POV

The three of us, as well as the sea monk, stand in ankle-deep water next to Amatsumi Hiko. He’s dying. He won’t be going back to the sea after this. 

“I have… finished my duty…” he’s saying weakly. “After my death, you will become the oldest thing in the sea,” he tells the sea monk, who is wailing miserably. “From now on, it’s up to you guys.”

“Amatsumi Hiko…” says Shiemi sadly, pressing her forehead affectionately against one of his great tusks. 

“You did great, Amatsumi Hiko,” I tell him. And I mean it. He fought so well today, and thanks to him, we were victorious. I was only able to finish off the kraken because of him. 

“You are a strange one,” Amatsumi Hiko murmurs to me. “Neither the sky nor the sea can tell…” His voice fades away for the last time, and he dies. He evaporates into the salty sea air, and he’s gone for good. 

Afterwards, I finally have a chance to talk to my brother. “Yukio. Walk with me,” I request. He does. “Listen, brother,” I say when we’re out of earshot of everyone else, “I’m going to be an exorcist as Satan’s daughter.”

“... Yeah.”

“You’ve… fought at Dad’s side before, haven’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“I envy you. I wish I could fight beside our dad. I bet he could teach me so many things. Hey, do you know any stories about what he’s done?”

“Of course. And I’ll tell you some…  _ after  _ you become an exorcist.”

“Why are you so harsh to your own sister, swimming goggles?!” I cry out.  _ Honestly, he can be so mean sometimes!  _ I sigh. “Tch! We really are twins who can’t get along, aren’t we, brother?”

“That’s right,” he agrees. 

“But when I become an exorcist, exterminating demons with our combined attack would be pretty awesome, huh?” I grin at him. “Earlier, even though it was just for a brief moment, I enjoyed fighting alongside you. Interesting, isn’t it?”

“Guess so.” Yukio’s lips twitch up into a small smile. But only for a second. “ _ After _ you become an exorcist.”

“You already said that!” Seriously, that’s  _ twice  _ he’s said that just now! “You know, someday, I’m going to surpass you!”

Yukio blinks. “ _ You’re _ going to surpass  _ me _ , sister? Honestly, keep your lame jokes inside your head.”

“I will if you do,” I counter, shrugging nonchalantly. “Oh… wait, I forgot you don’t  _ have  _ a sense of humor…”

“Rin…” he groans. 

“Anyway, Yukio, I’m glad I heard what you had to say. If there’s anything else that’s bothering you, don’t hesitate to tell me. I  _ am _ your older sister, after all.” I smile warmly at him. He looks surprised, then smiles back at me. 

Suddenly, someone calls for the esquires to come help make squid yakisoba from the kraken’s tentacle. I press a kiss to Yukio’s cheek, then run to volunteer myself for the task. There’s no such thing as too much cooking for me on any given day. I somehow end up taking over the whole operation, directing the others to making the tastiest squid yakisoba they’ve ever had.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School starts back up after summer break, Rin meets Godaiin and wants to help him, and Renzo’s secret comes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I’m so sorry it’s been so long! But life happens, right? I’ve been trying to balance work and school with editing (turns out I have a lot of changes I need to make before I’m ready to post very many more chapters), so please bear with me, and enjoy the first chapter of the seven mysteries ark! Thank you for your continued support and patience!

Rin POV: 

_ Exorcists: priests who exorcise demons that possess people or objects, and exorcists of the True Cross Order. The True Cross Order was originally a military order. It was founded by Christian knights in medieval times. As the organization expanded, its fights with demons enabled it to learn exorcist techniques from all over the world. Today, the organization can deal with a variety of demons regardless of religion or culture. It is now the largest exorcist organization in the world. However, the existence of demons isn’t accepted by the general public. Exorcists are received as faith healers or counselors… _

“Everyone, take your seats!” the regular-school teacher calls out, his voice tearing me out of the exorcism book I’m reading. Summer vacation is over. Not much has happened since Kyoto, but my dad did make it home from the hospital. He’s still healing, and still has to go through a little physical therapy before he’s able to move around properly again, but he’s resumed his duties as abbot for our monastery, for the most part. It might be a little while before he’s well enough to be paladin again, though. That job remains with Angel for the time being. “I’m taking roll now!” the teacher announces. “Echizen!”

“Here!”

_ These classmates of mine wouldn’t believe the problems I have right now, the monsters I have to deal with. But I can understand that. I didn’t believe such things back when I couldn’t see demons at all.  _ I sigh quietly, close my book, and put it away.  _ If only I could go back to that time when my biggest concern was finding a job. But now I see and fight demons. _

“Okumura!”

“Here!” I respond almost robotically.  _ If everyone could see stuff like that, they would probably be panicking right now.  _ There’s a human-sized demon lurking near the front of the classroom. It doesn’t seem to be really doing anything, and it’s small fry compared to what I’ve personally fought, so I pay it no mind. Besides, stuff like this is all over the school. There’s no reason to get all worked up about something as insignificant as this one.  _ Man, can’t these classes finish now? I would much rather be at exorcist cram school. After all, school gives me the feeling that I don’t belong here, and I don’t like that feeling. I want to meet up with everyone at cram school… _

Suddenly there’s a scream from the guy at the seat that’s in the column to my right and one row forward. The guy is standing in a defensive position beside his desk, presumably having jumped up in fear, if his facial expression is anything accurate to go on. “What’s wrong, Godaiin?” our teacher asks. 

“I…” Godaiin is trembling like a leaf. He’s absolutely terrified. “I think I was dreaming…”

“Dear…!” our teacher chides, a little disappointed and clearly letting his mild annoyance show on his face. “How long does it take to get rid of a summer holiday mood? Your second semester has started, okay?”

Godaiin takes his seat, but he’s still trembling and looking around at all the —  _ wait a minute. Don’t tell me he’s…  _

After class, there’s a tiny demon out in the hallway, and Godaiin is in front of it, scared stiff. It’s clearly not one that’s all that dangerous, but it still has a pretty scary appearance, especially to someone who is not used to seeing demons.  _ If I wasn’t sure before, I definitely am now. He can see them.  _ I should probably say something to him. 

I approach him from behind and put my hand on his shoulder. “Godaiin!” I greet him. He’s startled out of his terrified trance as he looks around, surprised to see me. “Stop looking into their eyes.”

I’m probably the last person he expected to see. “Okumura?” Then he gets it. “You can see them too?!”

“My name is Rin, so just call me that, and yeah, I can see them. As for those,” I indicate the little demon in front of him, “just ignore them.” I’d love to stay and chat, but cram school starts soon. “See you later.” Then I rethink.  _ Maybe it would be a good idea for me to talk to him… And I do have a  _ little  _ bit of time to spare before cram school actually starts…  _ “Actually, come with me for a bit. I need to ask you something.”

He follows me out to a secluded set of stairs, where I know we won’t be overheard, and we sit side by side. 

“I thought I was going crazy,” he tells me. “Why does it… I mean, why are we the only ones who can see them?”

“Nah, there are others who can see them too.”  _ If he can see demons, that means he’s been exposed to miasma. _ “More importantly, my question is, did you notice anything strange when you first started seeing those things? Like getting injured or anything like that?”

He looks like he’s trying to figure out why I’m asking, but he answers anyway. “I haven’t been injured in ages.”

_ Huh? _ “That’s weird… Could it be that you didn’t notice…?” I wonder, pondering the possibility. 

“Come to think of it…” he says, “did you know that the students have been talking about the school’s seven mysteries lately?”

“Seven mysteries?”  _ What’s he talking about? _

“Once the summer holiday was over, it suddenly became a hot topic,” Godaiin explains. “There were many students who actually experienced it. I guess that was around the same time I started to see things…”

“Hmm…”  _ Seven mysteries, huh? Maybe I’ll have to talk to Mephisto.  _

“How about you, Rin? How is it that you can see these monsters too?” Godaiin asks innocently. 

I can’t exactly tell him that I can see demons because I  _ am _ one. “Well, I’m an apprentice exorcist, in the middle of learning how to deal with demons.”

“What?! You are?! Then… that thing… was it a demon?”

“Well, that’s what we call them.” I almost say that it’s what  _ they  _ call  _ us _ . But, again, it wouldn’t do to tell him, or even hint, that I’m half demon right now. I would just scare him away, and then I couldn’t help. I’ll let him believe I’m human for the time being. 

“It’s hard to believe that a world like that exists… I feel like I’m having a nightmare,” he says miserably. 

_ No,  _ I’m _ the one with the nightmare. Try being the half-demon offspring of Satan one day, buddy.  _ But I try to sound sympathetic for his sake. “Yeah, it must be hard for you to accept it all at once.”  _ It was a lot harder for  _ me _ , though, being who I am and learning about my heritage the way I did.  _

“I wonder… if I have to see them for the rest of my life… Insect monsters, bleeding ghosts, and such… I can’t stand it!” He hides his face in his hands. 

I can’t stand to do nothing. The poor guy is terrified out of his wits about this. “Anyway, I’ll talk to my exorcist teacher about your case,” I promise. 

The smile he gives me is so sweet and grateful. “Thank you. I never knew you were such a nice person, Rin.”

As always, I get embarrassed when I hear a compliment. My face gets hot. “R-really?”

“Yeah. Actually, I always thought that you were kind of… weird. You never really seem friendly with anyone in class, and you always look like you want to be somewhere else.”

I chuckle. “Weird, huh? I can’t disagree with you there. You might be more right than you think, and you don’t even know  _ half _ of what’s weird about me.” I absentmindedly tuck my hair behind my ear, the one on the side that Godaiin is on. 

I almost expect Godaiin to ask me to clarify, but when he doesn’t, I look over at him. He’s gawking in shock at the side of my head.  _ Uh oh. Didn’t think of that…  _ “Rin, what… What’s wrong with your ear?! Why’s it all pointy like that?!”  _ Idiot,  _ I chide myself.  _ I should have known he’d be able to see it. Right when I didn’t want him more freaked out than he already was…  _

I shake off my anger at myself and just grin at him, making a point to show him my fangs. “Don’t worry about it,” I tell him. “It’s fine, just a little side effect of the mashou I got, which allowed me to see demons for the first time. I just have slightly pointier ears and teeth, that’s all,” I lie brightly. I’m not about to tell this poor guy about my tail, after all. 

Godaiin looks like he doesn’t completely believe me, but doesn’t question it anymore. “I see…” he murmurs ponderously. 

Then I notice the time on a large clock tower in the distance.  _ I’m almost late. _ “Oh, it’s time for me to go to cram school…” I get up and grab my bag. “If anything happens, let me know, alright?” I sling my sword over my shoulder. 

“Thank you for your help, Rin! Good luck with your exorcist study!”

“Thanks. Keep your chin up!”

As I leave, my sensitive ears pick up what he mutters happily under his breath. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe the hottest girl in class just talked to me!”

I feel optimistic.  _ Maybe I  _ can _ make my first friend in class…  _

Up until now, my only friends are in cram school. But in my regular class, I never really reached out to anyone. My only interactions with my classmates have been when either I’ve had to stop someone from flirting with me or when we’ve been paired together for group projects.

Oh, yeah, and then there were the Yukio-fangirls who, after they found out that he’s my brother, used to hound me for his phone number. I had been tempted to give it to them on a number of occasions, but a girl just doesn’t sell out her own twin like that. Finally, sometime before summer break, I told them that he’s not attracted to women, but I was free if any of them were interested. That got them off my back for good, those cowardly heterosexuals.  _ Well, I’m not free anymore, but that’s beside the point.  _

Other than those brief interactions, I’m either reading an exorcism textbook or listening to the teacher while trying to take notes as best I can.

I yawn widely as I make my way to my locker.  _ Cram school closed so suddenly yesterday… And Yukio didn’t come back to our room last night…  _ _ What is going on? _

As I open my locker, Renzo and Konekomaru approach me. “‘Morning, Rin,” Renzo greets me. 

“G’morning,” yawns Konekomaru. Looks like I’m not the only one who’s still a little sleepy. 

“‘Morning,” I greet them tiredly.  _ Now might be a good time to ask around.  _ “Hey, can I ask you guys something?”

“What is it?” Konekomaru asks. 

Just as I’m about to tell them about what’s going on with Godaiin, Renzo shouts and points into my open locker. “Rin! C-could that be…!”

“What?”  _ What’s he going on about? _

“A love letter!”

“What?!” I whirl around and, sure enough, sitting in my locker is an envelope covered in hearts. I snatch it up, nearly crushing it in my fist. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“No fair! Why can’t I also get those?!  _ Anyone  _ would be fine! But preferably Izumo, or a certain someone whose last name is Okumura…” Renzo complains. 

“Unless you’re talking about Yukio, that’s not happening, Renzo,” I tell him, rolling my eyes. 

Renzo laughs nervously. “O-of course I wasn’t talking about Mr. Okumura! That’d be absurd!” Something about his anxious tone makes my annoyance disappear. For some reason, I get the feeling that he’s lying.  _ Wait. _ _ He’s… lying?! About not talking about my brother?!  _ All of a sudden it clicks.  _ Renzo isn’t as straight as I thought he was.  _

I raise my eyebrow in amusement, and a smirk makes its way onto my face. “Oh? So is there someone else at this school whose last name is Okumura, or do you have something you want to tell us?”

Konekomaru looks completely lost. “What are you talking about, Rin?” he asks innocently. 

I chuckle. “I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner. It takes one to know one, after all. Isn’t that right, Renzo? I have a feeling my range is bigger than yours, but you like more than just the opposite gender too, don’t you? You have a little crush on Yukio!” I accuse playfully, but wholly sincere. I  _ am  _ pansexual, after all.  _ I can’t believe there’s another queer kid in class… Who would’ve thought it’d be Renzo of all people?  _

Renzo grits his teeth. “Yeah? So what if I do?!” he challenges me defensively. 

“So what if you do what?” a voice asks, and the three of us turn around to see Ryuuji approaching us. 

“Hey, Ryuuji,” I greet him. “We just found out that Renzo likes guys.”

“ _ And _ girls!” Renzo clarifies. “I like girls  _ more _ !”

“But you have a crush on my brother,” I remind him, giggling. 

Ryuuji blinks. “You like Mr. Okumura?” he asks Renzo, who blushes guiltily, his face almost matching the pink color of his hair. “Is that all? Huh, to think I grew up with him and never knew he was bi…” he mutters ponderously. “Anyway, Rin, what’s that?”

I almost forgot about the letter in my hand. I look at it as I explain. “Oh, right, some moron was dumb enough to write me a lo—” And then I see the name of the person who sent it.  _ Oh god.  _ “What the— It’s from Mephisto!” I throw the thing to the ground in horror. “He used such a disgusting envelope!”

“Don’t get too fired up, okay?” Ryuuji warns me almost tiredly, as if it’s an old thing. But he does mean it literally. “Even though it looks weird, he might have some important business with you. You should read it.”

I groan, and bend down to pick it up. “What a pain…”

“Bon, you sound like your father,” states Konekomaru. To be honest, he kinda sounds like mine, too. 

“Huh?!” 

Meanwhile, I open the letter and begin reading. The guys all read over my shoulder. 

_ Dear Rin Okumura, _

_ Autumn has already begun, yet the heat hasn’t gone down. How have you been? I’ve been very well.  _

_ Well, I have some news for you! It’s about the Vatican’s judgement regarding your execution.  _

_ It has been suspended! Hooray! Clap clap clap! Yay! Congratulations!!! _

“Rin’s execution has been put on hold?” Konekomaru says. 

“I knew it was about your execution!” Ryuuji exclaims. “But it’s only on hold… They sure are irritating.”

More importantly, am I the only one who’s bothered by the fact that Mephisto actually wrote out the words ‘clap clap clap’? “But still, for now it looks like I’m going to live, right?” I can’t help but feel a bit giddy about this. “At least for a little while longer.”

“But you didn’t decide who your father is, or what powers you have, so they shouldn’t even want to kill a fifteen-year-old girl in the first place,” Ryuuji mutters grumpily. 

“It looks like there’s another page,” notes Renzo.  _ So there is.  _ The four of us continue reading. 

_ By the way, I would like to celebrate this suspension. If you’re free tonight, would you like to join me for dinner at my mansion?  _

_ Please wear your uniform and come to Johann Faust’s residence located on the upper floor of the academy at about 6 o’clock.  _

_ I’ll be waiting! _

_ — Mephisto _

“What the… why does it sound like a date?” I shudder. “That’s so gross…” Mephisto would be the  _ last _ person I’d choose to have dinner with.

“Gyaaah!” A scream echoes through the room. “No! Don’t come near me!”

With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I realize I recognize the voice. I start running toward it. “That sounded like Godaiin!”

“Rin!” Konekomaru calls after me. The three of them can’t really do anything but follow. 

I find him in the middle of a confused crowd, terrified and panicking. “Godaiin!” I need to calm him down. 

“Rin…”

I break through the crowd and make it to him just as he collapses in front of me. I kneel down beside him. “What’s wrong?” And then I see the problem. It’s just a small demon, but I can see how it would freak him out. I suppose it  _ does _ have a pretty scary look. 

“I’ll get a teacher!” someone in the crowd volunteers. 

He screams again. “Help me!”

I glare at the thing.  _ Leave,  _ I tell it forcefully. It doesn’t move, so I guess it needs a little persuasion. No one else would be able to see it, so I free my tail from my shirt and show it to the demon, to let it know that I’m one of them. I bare my sharp fangs at it again, growling quietly.  _ Disappear! _ I order silently. Finally, it does just that. I suppose it recognizes a dominant demon when it sees one. Good.

“What happened?!” Ryuuji demands. 

“Godaiin…” I’m worried about him. 

He’s curled up in a ball on the floor, holding his head in his hands. “I can’t take it anymore… I can’t… Help me!”

“You know,” I tell Godaiin later in the health room, “if you keep freaking out like that, demons will keep coming to you.” After I helped him get here, I sat down at his bedside to talk. He is curled under the soft sheets and thick comforter, still shaking in fear. 

“No way… I’m such a weak person. Maybe that’s why I started seeing demons. I want to get my old self back…”

That makes me wonder.  _ Maybe it’s possible? _ “Okay,” I smile encouragingly. “Wait for me here.”  _ I have a few people I can ask, I think.  _

“Rin…” Godaiin murmurs softly as I leave. 

At lunch break, I’m eating with the Kyoto trio. I usually keep my tail hidden during class, for mobility purposes, but right now I felt like letting it loose, so I did. “So, anyways,” I’m saying, “do you guys have any idea how to make people stop seeing demons?” I’ve already filled them in about Godaiin and his situation. 

“Dunno,” admits Ryuuji. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“Basically, once a person comes into contact with miasma, they can’t ever be freed,” says Konekomaru. 

“He said that he never had a miasma-based injury,” I tell them. 

“What? Is that even possible?”

“If I’m not wrong, Godaiin is the son of a governor,” says Ryuuji. He’s probably not wrong. But he also sounds jealous. “Is he a friend of yours?”

“Why? Worried I might leave you weirdos for him?” I tease. “No, he’s not my friend. I want to be friends with him though. He seems like a good guy.”

“Oh! There they are!” Renzo practically has hearts in his eyes as he spots two people across the courtyard. “Izumo! Paku!” he calls. “Why don’t you guys eat with us?”

“Jeez, he’s persistent,” Izumo grumbles. “Stop asking us already! Why do we have to eat with you guys?!”

“Aw, don’t be like that! Even Rin joined us! See?” He points to me. 

“Don’t fall for it, Izumo!” I call out to her. “The only reason I’m eating with these losers is because they’re among my only friends here!”

“Come on, Rin, don’t be mean!” Renzo begs as Izumo and Paku leave. “We’re not really losers, are we?”

“Hmm,” I hum, pretending to reconsider. “No, you are. But you’re all lovable losers, I promise.” 

“Anyway, what are you going to do about this Godaiin guy?” Renzo asks, getting back to the point. 

“I don’t know,” I admit. “The only thing I can think of is either grabbing Yukio or Shura at cram school today and asking them.”  _ Since Yukio isn’t answering my calls. Why is he avoiding me? _ I suppose I could call my dad, too, but I don’t know if he’d be able to help. He’s still recovering, after all, even after four months. 

“Speaking of which,” remembers Ryuuji, “cram school is closed today. Mr. Okumura said so.”

“What?”  _ Why wouldn’t he tell his own sister about this?  _ “Ryuuji, did you talk to Yukio?”

“He was there during morning classes. I was supposed to tell Kamiki and Moriyama about it too. I’ll go tell them now.”

As Ryuuji leaves, I wonder who I can ask about Godaiin’s case.  _ What am I going to do about Godaiin if I can’t talk to Yukio, Dad, or Shura? Who else — wait a minute. Of course… _


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin has dinner with Mephisto, fights Amaimon in a dress, and watches the fight with the first of the seven mysteries. Ryuuji reveals his relationship with Rin, and Renzo is kissed by a ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it’s been too long since my last update! I haven’t been able to edit as much as I would like to, since most of my time is spent studying or working. I’ll update whenever I can, so please bear with me! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Rin POV

“Please come in, Rin Okumura,” the voice behind the door invites me, and I enter the room. “I was waiting for you.” Mephisto grins.  _ It’s perfect timing, really. Maybe Mephisto will know a method to make people unable to see demons.  _ “Belial, I’ll prepare for the dinner. You may leave now.”

“Certainly, sir.” And the human-shaped demon I assume is his butler leaves. 

But as I look around the room, I can’t help but notice that Mephisto’s mansion isn’t what I originally expected. I half-expected it to be old and almost dungeon-like and filled to the brim with odd relics he has collected over the years. But this… Well, Mephisto has a collection, all right, but not the kind I expected. Instead, books and videos line the rows and rows of bookshelves on the walls, while various pop-culture merchandise is strewn across the floor. “Could it be… you’re an otaku?” I ask. His anime and manga collection is astounding. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has more than this. 

“Yes!”  _ Wow. I didn’t really expect him to answer so quickly and proudly like that.  _ “I’m an otaku! I love all the entertainment in Assiah. Especially Japan! The shameless greed the Japanese have for entertainment is beyond awe-inspiring. I find it divinely spellbinding!”  _ Good lord, he’s so dramatic! _ “Especially these recent years, this country has been otaku-friendly and is perfect for me to live in! Thank you very much!”  _ Who is he thanking? He’s not even looking at me anymore.  _ “The imaginations and creations of human beings have much potential as the magic powers of demons! I believe they’ll develop technologies that will take us inside games and anime one day!” He seems to be addressing an invisible audience. 

“Who are you talking to?”

“I wonder… ku ku ku,” he laughs mysteriously. 

“Don’t ‘I wonder kukuku’ me!” I snap, irritated. “More importantly, I have something to talk to you about.”

“Eins! Zwei! Drei!” He snaps his fingers and a table appears in front of us, set for two and complete with candlelight. 

“Whoa!” I stumble backward in surprise. It’s not every day that a table appears out of thin air in front of you. 

“Here we go, Okumura, take your seat!” he says happily, sitting down. “Let’s have dinner! It’s my favorite, rich pork stock with spicy miso-flavored instant ramen from Mateki-ya!”

_ He’s rich and we’re having instant ramen? Talk about weird. Maybe he’s so cheap with food because he splurges on anime and manga merch. Who knows? _ I mentally shrug as I watch the hot water and ingredients add themselves to the flimsy disposable styrofoam bowl. 

Suddenly I notice Mephisto looking at me in disapproval. “Your clothes…! I thought I told you to be in full uniform?”  _ I  _ am _ in full uniform! What more could this guy possibly want from me?! _ “Seriously, mind your manners… Which parent do you take after?”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone who serves junk to an invited guest.”  _ I don’t even know where to start pointing out the problems here. _

“Anyway…” he says as if I hadn’t said anything, “shall we talk for five minutes until the ramen’s done?”

“That’s right! I have something to talk to you about!” I need to stick to my mission, my whole reason for being here. I have to find out if there’s a way to help Godaiin. 

“You need to listen to me first.” In a sudden puff of smoke, my appearance has changed. My hair, formerly down, is now in a braid, and I’m wearing what I can only describe as a black backless cocktail dress with a pair of matching high-heeled shoes.  _ What the— What is this?!  _ “Now, that’s better. Take a look at yourself in that mirror. Such beauty ought to be admired by everyone in the room, no?” Sure enough, there’s a mirror that has appeared on the table in front of me, next to my self-preparing ramen. I lift it in front of my face, and see a slightly more elaborate hairdo than what I’m used to, which consists of two braids that are perhaps a centimeter in width, one on each side of my head, which join with a single larger braid that falls in a long rope down my back and brushes against the base of my tail. I’m captivated by this until I see the makeup on my face.  _ Am I wearing lipstick?  _ My dad tried to introduce me to makeup once. It didn’t end well. Sure, I learned what lipstick and foundation and eyeliner and mascara were, but I found the hassle of putting them on my face too much. And besides, I didn’t  _ want  _ to look prettier. I didn’t need to. I wasn’t trying to look attractive for anyone, because anyone I was attracted to would never consider someone like me as a partner, even before the whole demon thing started. The makeup ended up going in a drawer, and never touched again. It’s still at the monastery. “The current you,” Mephisto says smugly, “is now competent enough to chat with me.”

“Seriously? You sure seem self-important.” I put down the mirror. I hate seeing myself like this. It’s just not…  _ me _ . 

“Indeed, I am an important person.” He smirks. “Eins, zwei, drei!” He snaps his fingers. Suddenly, we are in another place, one that looks like it’s made of darkness itself. “Since I’ve been in Assiah for such a long time, I was given a lot of names. ‘Loki,’ ‘Trickster,’ and ‘Raven,’ are a few of them. ‘Mephisto Pheles’ is a name I’ve been using for the last 200 years or so in Assiah. It’s not my real name, either. I am second in Gehenna’s hierarchy, the King of Time, Samael. I’m one of the eight demon kings, the royal family of demons.”

“You… What?! So that jerk  _ wasn’t  _ lying to me?” I remember when Amaimon called him ‘brother,’ that day in the amusement park. I should have made the connection. No, I  _ did _ make the connection. I just chose not to believe him, so I never thought of it any further. But I’m thinking of it now. If Amaimon was a demon and the King of Earth, and called Mephisto his brother, that would logically make Mephisto a demon as well and probably also a king of something.  _ Why didn’t I think of it before? Maybe just too much other stuff was going on. And he says he’s second in Gehenna’s hierarchy?  _ “Does this mean you’re a son of Satan too, just like that Amaimon guy?!”  _ Ugh, the thought of  _ this _ guy being my older brother disgusts me.  _ I shudder. 

“Of course,” he says. “It’s a so-called open secret. I think you’re the only one that didn’t know of it. Of course, I suppose that, by now, you realize this makes us, and the rest of the eight demon kings, siblings, as we are all the children of Satan…”

_ Oh, this is just  _ fantastic _.  _ “So you’re telling me that I have  _ nine _ brothers?!” Mephisto only grins.  _ Good grief, I don’t know how much of this I can handle.  _ “Where are we, anyway?! What did you do?!”

“This is Gehenna,” he says simply. 

“What?!” In an instant, I’m on my feet, sword and flames out, ready to fight if need be, and I probably will need to. The skirt of this dress is floor-length, but it’s rather loose, so it’s probably going to be easier than it could be to move around in this thing. This dress also has no back on it, which not only means it’s being held up by nothing but a strap around the back of my neck, but the skirt begins low enough that my tail is free. All I have to do is get rid of these stupid high heels and I can probably fight normally. “I thought there was something fishy about you! But finally, you’re showing your true self?!”  _ Why would he take me here if not to just hand me over to Satan? _

“Calm down,” he chuckles, looking slightly amused at my panic. “I’m the one who rules time and space. I’ve dimensionally transferred our minds to Gehenna for just five minutes. I’m not your enemy. At least, like I said, I love humans and the things they create. I won’t make things bad for you.”

_ Is that so…? _ “Then… get me out of here  _ now _ !” I scream, leaping onto the long table that separates us and running at full speed toward him, preparing to attack. 

“Oh dear,” chides Mephisto, as if he’s about to scold a small child for eating a piece of candy before dinner. My flaming sword swings down and cuts through… his empty chair.  _ What is this?  _ Suddenly Mephisto is behind me. “I told you that I rule space and time, didn’t I?” he murmurs softly in my ear. Then he takes hold of my tail and pulls on it.  _ Hard _ .

“Kyaaaaaah!” I scream in agony.  _ What was that for?! _

“Demons’ weaknesses are their tails and their hearts.” Suddenly he’s gone, and so is Kurikara. 

I gasp and spin around, looking for him. He’s sitting at the other end of the table. He’s holding my sword. “When did you…?!”

“I took it from you real slowly, while I stopped time. Your demon heart is sealed inside this sword. Hearts are demons’ vital part. Once it’s crushed, we will certainly die. Also, it’s our source of power. When it’s displayed like this, we can draw out our true power.” I don’t like that grin on his face as he stares at my sword. “However, it also means that our vital part is vulnerable. That’s why many demons hide their tails and hearts. This is the demon’s manner… In other words, it’s etiquette. I feel embarrassed to see you showing both of them.” He throws the sword in my direction, and I catch it. “You’ll probably understand better by having an actual fight than talking. Eins, zwei, drei!” He snaps his fingers, and an enormous cuckoo clock appears behind him. The doors in front open, and a figure emerges from the darkness within. “You shall know how unsightly you are,” says Mephisto, holding out his arms rather dramatically. 

“Rin… Okumura…” growls the figure, and, in horror, I realize that I recognize that voice.  _ That’s… Amaimon!  _ “I haven’t lost to you yet! You’re no match for me if I use my full strength!”

“Hey, if you go too far, your human host body will be damaged,” warns Mephisto, “and you won’t be able to stay in Assiah. Above all, it’s uncouth. You’ve got to adjust.” 

“Shut up!” Amaimon yells. 

“Alright.” Mephisto shrugs and stands aside. Strange, considering how much of a deal he was making about my choice of wardrobe a few minutes ago, enough to literally stop time and put me in a long black dress.  _ He’s not going to stop Amaimon from destroying his own body? Not that I mind, of course. If Amaimon can’t come back to Assiah, it’s only going to be better for me and my friends since he can’t hurt us from there.  _

Then Amaimon begins to transform. Something that looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before bursts out of his chest, but I have no doubt that it’s his demon heart. An enormous tail appears behind him as well, as his ears and arms grow while horns sprout from his forehead. “Now we’re equal…!” Then, without warning, he attacks. I go flying back. I think my back hits something, because now I’m no longer able to move. I’m completely stunned; his attack totally knocked the wind out of me. Which isn’t good, because I think he’s about to attack again. “I’ve never felt like this,” snarls Amaimon. “Making her into mincemeat isn’t enough. I’m gonna make her into slime!”

I don’t see what happens next, but I assume Amaimon has been stopped, because I hear the crashing sound of a body tumbling against rock. Then Mephisto says, “I warned you. Amaimon is one of the eight demon kings.”  _ Is he talking to me? _ He’s Gehenna’s seventh man of power, the Earth King. There are six other kings, including me, above the Earth King. And finally, there’s Satan. He reigns over us. Even though it’s a good thing that you’ve become conscious of yourself as the daughter of Satan, at the moment you’re hopeless like this even against Amaimon. Do you understand how ridiculous it is for you to strike Satan? Don’t get carried away just because you’ve defeated the Impure King by borrowing the power of Ucchusma.”

I guess there really is a lesson of humility to be learned here. “...Right,” I answer. Then, without acknowledging me, Mephisto snaps his fingers, and suddenly we’re back in his mansion, at the table where our instant ramen is waiting for us. I also seem to bear no trace of injury, which is strange because I’m pretty sure I was hurt when I was thrown against that rock and even  _ I _ don’t regenerate that fast. “Eh?! What?!”

“I’ve pulled our consciousnesses back to Assiah,” he explains.

I frown. “Right… Anyway, I have something to ask you about.”

Mephisto simply smirks. “Say no more, little sister.” He pulls out a tiny bottle and shows it to me. “Guess with this could be,” he teases. At my blank look, he tells me. “This is eyewash whose effect is to make people unable to see demons.”

_ He knows about Godaiin. _ “How did you…?!”

“I know everything.”  _ Of course he does. _

“Then let me have it!” I demand.  _ I just want to help my classmate! _

“You’re so cheeky,” he chides in disappointment. “There’s no way I’d give it to you for free.” He snaps his fingers, and it vanishes in a puff of smoke. “I’ll give you an assignment. Once you’ve done that, it’s all yours.” Suddenly, his tone turns dark. There’s something foreboding in his eye. “Right now, something evil is sneaking upon Assiah.”

“Huh?”  _ What’s he talking about now? _

“Godaiin’s case is only a prelude to it.”  _ What does that mean? Only a prelude? What’s about to happen? _ Just as suddenly as it came, his dark and demonic demeanor is gone, and the cutesy otaku side of Mephisto is back. “Oops! Five minutes have passed! Let’s have the ramen! Don’t worry, I’ve prepared rice too, if you like to have some on the side.”

_ I will never be able to figure this guy out. I don’t really think anyone will be able to predict his next move.  _

“Anyway,” announces Yukio, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “It’s been three days since our last session. I’m sorry that we had to close cram school and for having class at such a late hour.”  _ Uh… Yeah, this goes way beyond late. We were called in at 11:00 PM for class. This is ridiculous. _ “I’d like to start a special extracurricular lesson now.”

“Special?” asks Ryuuji.  _ This had better be good. I’m just about dead on my feet here. _

“This lesson also carries out an order that was given directly from Sir Pheles. Please follow me.” Groggy and yawning, we all obey.

“Rin,” says Shiemi, looking at me in curiosity, “your hair looks different from usual. Also, are you wearing makeup?”

“Oh.”  _ I forgot about that. _ “I was having dinner at Mephisto’s.” Immediately, I start removing the braided hairstyle.  _ Jeez, how many hair ties and hair pins does a person need in their hair at once?! I know I have a lot of hair, but this isn’t even that elaborate of a hairstyle. I swear, Mephisto did this just to piss me off. If he didn’t, that would really be the surprise of the century.  _

“So you went there?” Ryuuji asks in surprise.

“How was it?” Konekomaru asks.

“Erm…” It didn’t really last long, since Mephisto got a call just as we started to eat, but… “We had bowls of spicy instant noodles, which was tacky and cheap of him, but it was actually pretty delicious.” I’m not about to tell them about where we went and who we saw there and what we talked about, but that instant ramen… good lord, that was some fantastic stuff. I normally wouldn’t eat that junk, since it’s so unhealthy and I prefer to cook for myself, but I was surprised at how much I actually liked the taste. I refuse to make a habit of eating that stuff, though. 

“Instant noodles?!” Ryuuji demands, appalled that Mephisto would feed a guest such cheap rubbish.

“That’s stingy of him,” comments Renzo. I almost correct him, but decide against it. Mephisto may have been stingy with the food, but certainly not with the attire. He forced me to keep the dress he gave me, because he’d zapped all my clothes back to my dorm. I’d had to walk all the way across campus in that dress, barefoot while carrying my high-heeled shoes in my hand and enduring a couple of catcalls (somehow able to resist approaching said catcallers and slapping them) as I made my way home. At least, when I got back to my dorm, my uniform was folded in a neat little pile… on Yukio’s bed. 

“It’s somewhere around here, I think…” my brother mumbles to himself from the front of our group. “Alright, everyone,” he announces, stopping to turn around and address the seven of us. We’re in the middle of a bridge. “Are you aware of all the recent gossip about the seven mysteries of True Cross Academy?”

_ Seven mysteries! That’s what Godaiin was talking about yesterday! _ “Right!” confirms Renzo. “Girls are talking about it.”  _ Why do you know that…? _

“Yes, I’ve heard gossip too,” confirms Konekomaru. 

“Rumor has it that the seven mysteries are caused by demons,” Yukio informs us. “I’d like you guys to fight against those demons.”  _ Of course you would. _

“What…? You mean we’ll be taking on demons ourselves?”

“That’s right. I’ll be here watching how you guys elaborate a plan and battle against them. However, I won’t say a word. By order of the director, you all must work together to accomplish the task by yourselves.”  _ So this is the assignment that Mephisto was talking about. And all I have to do is ensure it gets completed, and those eye drops will be mine.  _ “Alright, I’ll hand you the list of the seven mysteries. These are the ones that are currently being talked about most often.”

On the list, there’s a white wedding kimono that wanders around the school in the middle of the night; a statue of Mephisto that moves around in the middle of the night; something called ‘Mayuku,’ which appears in a restroom in the women’s dormitory; something that shows you your own dead face between the portraits in the high school building; an empty tram that runs in the middle of the night; something called a ‘wunderkammer,’ which appears in a science laboratory in the high school building; and a mansion with an endless path, so that it can never be reached.

“And tonight,” Yukio continues, “you’ll be fighting the first one on the list, the wedding kimono that wanders around campus in the middle of the night. Here’s some info about this white kimono. It’s the ghost of a bride who’s still wearing her wedding gown. She attacks men who notice her in the middle of the night. It doesn’t seem to go near women, however. Twelve victims were reported within the last two weeks.”

“Look!” says Izumo, pointing. There, on the end of another bridge not too far away from us, is the white wedding kimono. 

“It showed up.”  _ Way to state the obvious, brother.  _ “Alright, let’s start the mission. Don’t forget to work as a team! Start now!”

Together, we make our way to the kimono’s bridge. While Yukio stands back and watches, we form some semblance of a strategy. We try to, anyway. 

“R-right,” says Ryuuji, taking temporary command. “First, for this task, you girls are to observe us. Are we clear?”

“How boring,” I complain, trying and failing to hold back a groan of exasperation. I want to  _ fight _ , dang it!

“Can’t be helped,” Izumo tells me, shrugging. I know she’s right, so I don’t say another word about it. 

“Okay! Everyone do your best!” Shiemi encourages the guys. 

“Since our opponent’s a ghost, aria would be the most effective against them,” theorizes Ryuuji. “Even though it’s wearing a wedding kimono, we still can’t tell if it was a Buddhist wedding or a Shinto one… Yet, I’m sure that a Shinto prayer or sutra should work! Neko, Shima and I are the only ones who can do the incantations. So we’ll put our all into chanting Shinto prayers and sutras.”

“But if you all do that, won’t you be vulnerable?” I ask. “You’ll need someone to protect you, or at least draw the kimono’s attention to buy enough time for you to finish the incantation.”

No one says anything, but we all simultaneously look at the only one who could do it. “By the way, Takara,” begins Ryuuji carefully. “You’re studying to be a tamer, right? What kind of familiar do you use?” 

“Shut up,” snaps Takara’s puppet. “Don’t talk to me. You brats do whatever you want!”  _ That’s all he has to say? I’m surprised he’s not making more of a fuss about being spoken to. Actually, I’m more surprised that he came out at all tonight.  _

I can practically see the metaphorical smoke rising from Ryuuji’s head as he glares at Takara angrily, probably trying not to strangle him. “Bon!” Konekomaru pleads. “Please stay calm…”

“Fine,” Ryuuji growls, trying to regain his composure. “I’ll distract the kimono while Neko and Shima chant the incantation.” 

As the guys prepare to confront the ghost, Izumo, Shiemi, and I all step back to where Yukio is so we can watch. 

Ryuuji slowly approaches the kimono, which has been facing away from us the whole time. “Good evening, miss,” he greets it politely. 

“Huh?” The kimono turns around, but the person in it is clearly not assigned female at birth.  _ She’s trans?! Whatever I was expecting this ghost to look like, it definitely wasn’t this! _ “Oh my! Cutie boy! Can you see me?”  _ Well, at least this is going to be very much not boring now.  _

“You’re… trans?”  _ Way to have tact, Ryu.  _

“Aww, geez! My story isn’t that simple!” The ghost punches Ryuuji in frustration. 

“Ow!” He falls to the ground as the ghost begins to tell Ryuuji her backstory. 

“Back when I was alive, I used to hide the fact that I had a girl’s heart. Even though I wanted to play with dolls and wear girls’ dresses, I acted like a boy. I died with regrets, but because I kept deceiving myself, I couldn’t rest in peace! I thought that now is the time that I must reveal the truth that I am a trans woman!”  _ She seems really proud of this.  _ “That’s why you should let me kiss you!” She grabs Ryuuji’s face and puckers her lips at him.  _ Oh my god, this is going to be fantastic. Where’s my phone, I need a photo of this…  _ As it turns out, I don’t have it with me. Too bad. This would be  _ great  _ blackmail. Although, a part of me wishes that it was my brother out there instead of Ryuuji. I’m pretty good at getting blackmail on Yukio, after fifteen years of practice. 

But now is the time for Ryuuji to answer. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “But I can’t kiss a dead woman that I just met. Besides, my girlfriend is watching us right now. How do you think she’d feel if she had to watch me kiss someone else?”  _ How would I feel? Well, if it’s another living person, I either wouldn’t be very happy or I would see if they were okay with a poly relationship, depending on my own attraction to them. But if it’s a ghost in a wedding kimono, like this one, I’d say I would feel like laughing.  _ As I am right now. This whole thing is so funny, I can’t hold back my giggles. 

“Can’t he say it a bit more subtly?” Renzo groans. 

“Maybe we should have made  _ you _ the bait, Shima.”

“No way, Koneko!” Renzo complains. Then I see something connect in his brain, behind his eyes. “Wait, did he say ‘girlfriend’? Since when?! Who?!”

“What?!” The ghost looks to where he’s pointing and finally spots us girls and Yukio. I finally manage to compose myself, miraculously enough. “Which one is she?!”

“The tall black-haired one.”  _ Oh, god, this is the funniest thing that has happened today.  _ I grin and wave cheerfully. I can feel Yukio, Izumo, and Shiemi all staring at me. They’re waiting for an explanation, but I  _ will _ see what happens here first. 

The ghost wails in anguish. “No!! How cruel fate is! Who could compete with a beauty like that?!” She sobs into the sleeve of her kimono. “How could you be so blunt…? I… like an honest boy like you, and I won’t go after someone else’s man. But until I find my Mr. Right, I won’t give up!” She finally notices Shima and Konekomaru. “Oh dear! There are more cute young boys over there!” And then she charges toward them. “Here I come, my boys! I’ll give you a kiss!”

Ryuuji quickly assigns sutras for the rest of the Kyoto trio to recite, but he’s too late. Renzo is unnerved, and messes up his sutra. Immediately, he turns and runs away from the ghost, yelling, “Bon, Koneko, forgive me!” He retreats a good distance behind Konekomaru. Ryuuji somehow keeps the ghost busy while he and Konekomaru recite, but then they run out of prayers. And nothing is happening to the ghost. 

“When it comes to ghost exorcisms,” murmurs Yukio thoughtfully, “reciting is most effective, yet the incantations didn’t work this time.” He seems perplexed. “This one is a difficult opponent.”

“The little ghost boy I met in the amusement park…” says Shiemi thoughtfully, and we all look at her, “went to heaven after I played tag with him.”

“Right…” Yukio acknowledges her somewhat absentmindedly. “It’d be best to clear his regret, though…”

“If you’re not going to kiss me, then stop bothering me!” the ghost screeches at the guys. 

“Run, you guys!” Renzo yells. “That ghost can’t rest in peace until it kisses a man! Let’s retreat and regroup for now!”

“Chuu-chuu missile!” The ghost dives at Konekomaru, lips puckered and ready for a kiss. Konekomaru dodges just in time, and the ghost ends up kissing the ground (very literally). Konekomaru and Renzo run away from the crazed ghost. It looks like Ryuuji is alright, since the ghost had left him behind, but Renzo is far from alright. The ghost has caught him. “Got you!” she sings. “Alrighty, let’s kiss.”

“No way no way no way no way! Scary scary scary scary!” Renzo cries out in distress as the ghost’s lips draw closer to his. “Please spare my life!” Fortunately for him, the ghost  _ does  _ spare his life. But, unfortunately for him, the ghost goes ahead and kisses him right on the lips. “Gyaaaah!” Renzo screams, and lets out a string of muffled sounds. Afterward, he just lies there, absolutely stunned and unresponsive. It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to move for a while, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t think anyone will mind until he  _ is _ able to get up. I am a little peeved at his weakness.  _ He likes girls, doesn’t he? Why is a trans woman any different?  _ He should have just imagined that the ghost was someone he likes.  _ Such as Yukio,  _ the unbidden thought that enters my mind whispers naughtily. I have to fight back my laughter. 

“Your sacrifice won’t be in vain, Shima,” promises Konekomaru solemnly. 

“Shima… take it as God’s punishment…” Ryuuji says grimly. 

“He’s not the one…”  _ Oh dear lord. We’re about to be dealing with an angry ghost in a minute.  _ “He’s not Mr. Right! Could it be that I haven’t smooched enough? Where’s my smooch?”

“Their battle formation has completely fallen apart,” observes Yukio. “They’re in a total panic. I need to…” I think he’s about to say ‘intervene,’ but he’s interrupted. 

“Tch. What a bunch of useless brats,” scoffs Takara. 

“Oh!” The ghost sounds happy again. “There’s another boy over there! Chuu-chuu missile!” She charges, but Takara has an attack ready. 

“Summon,” he orders. “Fashion doll Mika’s friends series, Jean groom version!” Out of nowhere, a tiny doll poofs into existence. I can’t really see it, but I assume it’s dressed in a suit, like a man on his wedding day. 

“My dear bride!” it says politely like a gentleman would. “Let’s perform our marriage now!”

The ghost’s eyes sparkle, and I understand. “I see… her regret wasn’t a kiss…” She just wanted to marry the perfect man.  _ That’s actually kinda sweet…  _

The ghost happily disappears a few seconds later. I’m happy for her. She can rest in peace now. 

“I am a puppet master,” announces Takara to the rest of us. “I can summon and control any doll. Speaking of which… although I’m not at meister level yet, my abilities exceed those of regular exorcists. A cram school like this is merely a waste of time to me. At least don’t annoy me!”

_ What a strange person he is, _ I think. But I can see why Ryuuji is getting angry. He cracks his knuckles, scowling at Takara. “Alright… I’ve just about had enough…”

“Then why don’t you just drop out?!” Konekomaru yells angrily at Takara.  _ Wait. Konekomaru never yells. He doesn’t get angry, either…  _

“Konekomaru?” Ryuuji actually cowers back a little, surprised out of his own anger by his friend’s harsh tones. “What happened?” Suddenly Konekomaru is lunging at Takara, shouting angrily, and Ryuuji is struggling to hold him back. “Stop him, Shima! Oh, I forgot— he’s useless now.” He looks desperately around. “Rin, help!”

As I jog over to come to his aid, my brother finally acts like a teacher again. “Everyone!” His loud, authoritative voice rings out, making us all stop. “Calm down. You don’t want to die, do you?”

_ Holy cow, he’s not messing around here.  _ “No…” we all answer simultaneously and equally submissively.

Our mission for the night over, we all start to head back to our respective dorms, but I’m not able to get far before there’s a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. “Hold it, Rin,” says Izumo warningly. “We’re not done here.”

_ Uh oh.  _ “What is it, Izumo?” I ask as innocently as possible, turning to see her and Shiemi’s expectant faces. But I know exactly what they want. 

“Why didn’t you tell us about you and that gorilla?!” Izumo demands. “We’re your friends, aren’t we?!”

I honestly don’t know what to say. “I… um… Well, of course you’re my friends… Ryuuji and I just decided to keep it to ourselves for the time being…” I stammer guiltily. “It’s not really a big deal…” But I really should have told them sooner. “Sorry I didn’t say anything, though,” I apologize sincerely. 

“It’s okay, Rin!” Shiemi says sweetly. “I forgive you! I’m just happy for you and Suguro!” She wraps her arms around my waist and embraces me. I hug her back. 

“Thanks, Shiemi.”

But Izumo isn’t so quick to forgive. She fixes her scrutinizing glare upon me for a few seconds. “I’ll forget all about this,” she finally says, “but  _ only _ if you promise me, right here and now, that you’ll make us your bridesmaids at your and Suguro’s wedding.”

I sigh in exasperation. “ _ If _ that ever happens, I’ll keep you in mind because I literally have no one else,” I promise. 

Izumo nods, satisfied. “Good.”

I glance at Ryuuji, who is standing several meters away and receiving a similar lecture from Konekomaru, Renzo, and Yukio, and I start wondering if marriage would be in our future.  _ No, it’s too early to think about that, _ I decide. Then I notice Renzo sneak a peek at Yukio. I blink.  _ That look in his eyes… he really  _ does _ like him…  _ I smirk. Oh, the teasing I could dish out to both of them… 

“R-Rin?” Shiemi asks timidly. “Why are you smiling like that? You look scary…”

I look at her, broken out of my trance. “Huh?”

“You look like you know something we don’t,” accuses Izumo. “And like you were scheming something just now.”

“Ah. Oh, that.” I start giggling. “Well, I have some news that you’ll find kinda interesting.” Izumo raises her eyebrow, while Shiemi looks confused. I lower my voice so the guys can’t hear me. “Don’t tell him I told you, but I found out that Renzo is bi, and though he  _ claims _ to like girls more, he currently likes another guy.”

Izumo gapes. “What?! When?! How?!  _ Who _ ?!”

“Shh! I found out this morning,” I chuckle quietly. “I’d gotten what I thought was a love letter in my locker, and Renzo complained that he wanted one from ‘a certain someone named Okumura.’ I kinda made a joke about it being Yukio, and he got all defensive, and that’s how I found out that Renzo actually has a bit of a crush on my dear little brother.”

Izumo and Shiemi stare at me for a long moment, blank expressions on their faces. Then Izumo starts laughing so hard that tears spring up in her eyes. I start laughing too, and even Shiemi joins in, giggling. Izumo almost collapses, but I catch her, and we continue laughing as I hold her in my arms. Soon I feel Shiemi’s arms around my waist, and the three of us stay like that for a few minutes, unable to stem our gleeful rejoicing. I feel the guys’ eyes on us, staring in confusion, but I ignore them. I don’t care what they think of us right now. 


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquires finish the seven mysteries, the boys disguise themselves, Rin discovers something about Takara, and Godaiin receives his eye drops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Father’s Day! Sorry it’s been awhile since the last chapter. This one is kinda long and took more than a few adjustments before I decided I liked it enough to post. Also I’ve kinda been busy with school and stuff, so there’s that. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

Rin POV

“You know, you should at least  _ try  _ to reply to my texts,” I tell Yukio in annoyance as I cook breakfast. “I need to know stuff like whether you’ll be eating in today, or if you’ll be needing a bento!”

“Sorry, Mom,” he apologizes as I slide eggs and bacon onto his plate. 

“Yes, your mom here was worried sick!” I have finally accepted my title as the mom friend of the cram school. Apparently, so has Yukio. 

“I was really busy.”

“Tch! Yeah, right. I’d like a mom too, y’know!” 

“See, I was trapped in a constant loop between tending to the consultation counter and missions,” he explains. “Lately, there’s been an abnormal increase in the number of people asking for advice from the Order.”

_ Huh? _ “Do you think that has anything to do with the rumors at school about the seven mysteries?”

“Probably. They’re looking into it as we speak.”

“So that means there are a lot of people like Godaiin. We’ll complete Mephisto’s assignment once we solve the seven mysteries, right?”

“That’s what I heard.”

I sigh in exasperation.  _ Great, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?  _ “Mephisto better not have been lying about those eye drops. I don’t know what I’d do if it turns out I couldn’t help Godaiin in the end. And even Ryuuji has never heard of something like this before…”

“Speaking of which, Rin,” says Yukio in a fatherly tone, “when did you start dating him? Why didn’t you tell me?”

There’s no use lying to him about it. “It was the day after we defeated the Impure King,” I tell him. “We just weren’t ready to say anything yet, so we didn’t. I didn’t know he would tell everyone like that last night, but I’m okay with it.” I shrug. 

“I must say, I’m disappointed in you,” he tells me crossly. “But I’m not surprised, given how…  _ handsy _ he’s gotten with you lately.”

“What?” I snicker. “You think putting his arm around me is  _ handsy _ ? Oh, my dear, sweet, innocent little brother. You have no idea what ‘handsy’  _ really _ means.” I, for one, have experienced ‘handsy’ firsthand, that day when my demonic powers awoke. 

“But you and I both know he won’t stop undressing you with his eyes,” Yukio argues. “And I don’t like it. At the esquire exam, in Kyoto, and don’t get me  _ started  _ on how he stared at you at the beach…” 

I shrug. “Maybe so, but that’s not really any of your business, is it? And besides, you were getting a few looks of your own from one of your students at the beach, Yuki.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Yukio snaps. “No one thinking straight would pursue a relationship with a teacher!”

I laugh. “Yuki, first of all, you’re  _ fifteen _ , so it’s not like there’s any sort of age difference, and second of all, it’s bold of you to assume he was thinking  _ straight _ .”

Yukio blinks. “What?”

“Oh, to be so unobservant and ignorant!” I giggle. “I think everyone knows but you. Just give it some time, you’ll notice.”

“Rin, who is it?”

“Nope!” I tease. “I’m not telling until he’s ready!”

“Come on!” Yukio groans. “I don’t understand why anyone would want to ogle a guy like  _ me  _ at the beach when  _ you  _ were the one wearing such an indecent swimsuit.”

“It wasn’t  _ indecent _ , it was  _ normal _ ,” I argue. “People wear that stuff to the beach. What people  _ don’t  _ wear are polo shirts and cargo shorts when they want to go swimming. I’m surprised I was able to get you to take your shirt off at all. Honestly, would it  _ kill  _ you to not be such a prude sometimes?” I know  _ I’m  _ pretty confident with my body, but Yukio… well, he might have gotten a  _ little  _ better around other people, but he still clearly prefers to be in full uniform when he’s with anyone but family (in other words, me and Dad). 

“Don’t change the subject, Rin,” he scolds. “And anyway, getting back to your own love life, I don’t approve of it at all. How’s a guy supposed to feel when his sister becomes the girlfriend of… someone like  _ Suguro _ ? All those piercings, and that  _ hair _ , it’s all so improper! You’re much too good for a punk like Suguro anyway! I do not approve!”

I was just playing with my brother a few seconds ago, but now I’m angry. Especially since he brought this up again. “First of all, how  _ dare _ you judge him by his appearance this late in the game! He has excellent grades, he’s a respectable guy, he works hard, and you know it! You’re in the same class as he is, aren’t you?! Not to mention you actually grade some of his homework and tests! Need I remind you that you’re also his teacher? And second of all, who says you’re allowed to approve of who I date?! You’re not Dad! Stop acting like him!”

“You’re right, I’m  _ not _ Dad! But what would he say if you called him right now and told him who your new boyfriend is?! Or maybe  _ I  _ should be the one to call and tell him! Can you honestly tell me you think he would approve of such a relationship?!”

“ _ Yes _ , I  _ do _ ! Ryuuji is a nice, smart, honest guy who cares about me! He genuinely loves me, before  _ and  _ after he found out who I am, and I love him too! Not to mention,  _ our  _ dad knows  _ his _ , and they’d probably still be on good terms if they met up again! I doubt Dad would mind if he knew who my boyfriend is! If anything, I think  _ you’re  _ the one he’d be disappointed in, since you don’t have one yet! You have plenty of people lusting after you at school, even those in  _ my _ class! Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been asked to give out your phone number, or set one of them up on a date with you?! You could literally have your pick of any person in the school, and here you are working yourself ragged like you’re a single middle-aged father with five kids to provide for! In case I have to remind you again, you’re  _ fifteen _ ! So start acting like it! Dad even told you himself not to work too hard! So just stop avoiding the issue like a coward, figure out which of your students likes you, and have some  _ fun _ !”

He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again as he probably realizes that I’m right. He sighs, calming himself down, then pushes his chair back and gets up. “Thanks for the meal, sister,” he says quietly. 

“You’re heading out already?” And just like that, my anger is gone and confusion takes over. 

“I was told to focus on my lecturing duties, and I’m busy enough as it is.” He grabs his bag. “Plus, I have an errand to run before school.” He gives me a little smile as if to apologize, and maybe someone else would see it that way, but…  _ That smile… Always with that smile… I only know better because I’m his twin…  _

“Umm, hey,” I stop him before he can leave. “You’re not keeping something from me, are you?” I just have a bad feeling about it. 

“Eh?” He stops and looks at me with confusion. “Why?”

“Why? I can’t seem to find the right words, but you always have a smile on your face when you’re hiding something. That’s how it was until recently.” That’s how it has always been, unless it changed (which I highly doubt). 

“Well, it’s nothing,” he insists. “Right, I’ll be going then.” I just stare after him as he leaves. 

“ _ Yukio’s hiding something, _ ” observes Kuro, hopping onto my shoulder. “ _ I can smell it. _ ”

“Hmph. So he feels that he can’t tell me, does he?!” Sighing in frustration, I get up to do the dishes. If he feels that he can’t tell me, I can’t do much of anything to make him do so. But I’ll give him every opportunity to let me help him, if I can. 

“I can’t believe that Takara was able to take down that ghost alone last night,” I groan sullenly as I talk to the guys in the hallway. “No one else was even able to do anything…”

“‘Assess your weaknesses and establish what needs to be done to overcome them,’” Renzo quotes. “That’s what Mr. Okumura said. But honestly, that’s impossible since I’ve erased all my memories of yesterday— ow!”

Ryuuji just kicked Renzo in the shin. “You’re the one who should be aware of your weaknesses the most!”

I sigh. “Honestly, Renzo, I don’t know why you didn’t just picture Yukio last night instead of torturing yourself…”

“I wonder who Takara really is…” Konekomaru mutters.

“His full name is Nemu Takara,” says Ryuuji.  _ Of course he would know that. _ “His father is the president of the toy company, ‘Takara Hobby’. And just so you know, he’s a second year— a year above us.”

“Eh?! He’s our senpai?!” Renzo gasps a little too loudly. “Hey, isn’t Takara Hobby a super big company?”

“So he’s a senpai!” I groan. “Is that why he’s so arrogant?!”

“Apparently, he transferred to this school straight into the second year. That’s all the information I know,” says Ryuuji.

“But… It’s getting more and more confusing…” says Konekomaru ponderously.

“Konekomaru, what’s wrong?” Ryuuji asks. “You don’t look so well. You did fine, so there’s no need to fret over it.”

“I-I’m okay,” Konekomaru reassures Ryuuji. “Don’t worry!”

“You sure?”

“Anyway, I wonder if Rin, Moriyama, and Kamiki will be okay on today’s mission,” says Konekomaru in concern. 

“We’ll be fine,” I promise, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling. “After all,  _ I’ll _ be there, right?” Last night, Yukio told us about the next mystery, the mayuko that appears in a restroom in the women’s dormitory. Apparently, it only appears in front of girls, so the only ones who can go in there are myself, Izumo, and Shiemi. I can’t wait to finally fight against one of the seven mysteries. I hope I can do something against it, but after last night, I’m not so sure what my power can do against it. If I had to guess, blue flames might not work against a ghost. 

“We won’t be sneaking in at night,” groans Renzo in utter disappointment. “Man, this sucks.”

“Shima…” Ryuuji scolds.

“We’ll settle it in the afternoon, while the female students aren’t around,” Yukio says as if he hadn’t caught the implication of what Renzo probably wanted to do. But he has. He’s just ignoring it. “First, let’s have you girls head over to the northern toilet on the sixth floor,” he orders us. “Once you arrive, I want you on standby near the entrance. We’ll catch up once we’re done with our preparations.”

“Okay!” the three of us chorus.

As we head inside, I hear Ryuuji ask, “So? What are we supposed to do?”

“We’ll do as Sir Pheles ordered,” says Yukio. 

“Here’s the place,” says Shiemi when we get to the restroom. We open the door, and she and I both let out a little gasp. “Wow…” she says in awe. “What a beautiful toilet!”

“ _ This _ is what I’ve been missing out on?!” The bathroom at my dorm has  _ nothing _ on this! “Geez, Yukio and I live in a hovel compared to this room alone!” The bathroom alone is probably worth more than my entire dorm building, furniture and appliances included.  _ Stupid rich-kid school! _

“Shh!” Izumo shushes us. “Look!”

“Coal tar…” They’re everywhere. 

“Sorry for the wait!” Yukio whispers as he pokes his head around the corner. “You three, we’ll be standing by here if anything happens. So fight to your heart’s content.”

“Alright,” Izumo acknowledges. 

“Let’s go investigate the stalls first,” suggests Shiemi. 

“Yeah,” I agree. 

We quickly find the only locked stall. Shiemi knocks. “Excuse me,” she calls politely. “Is someone in there?”

“Hey!” Izumo protests. I can understand why; Shiemi is, as always, being exceptionally straightforward. 

“Yes…” a sinister voice answers from inside the stall. “I  _ so _ hate you. Stop behaving like a ditz when you’re totally not. Don’t expect people to forgive you for everything just because you’re cute.”

Shiemi recoils in shock, and possibly fear. “Eh?”

“Enough with the small talk!” Izumo yells, kicking the door in. I instantly grab Kurikara’s hilt, ready to unsheathe it if need be. 

“I  _ so _ can’t believe you did that,” complains the voice. “Go drop dead and die.” But it’s not coming from the stall anymore. The voice is right behind us. We spin around, and there she is. Well, I assume it’s a ‘she’. The demon has a feminine voice and long black hair sprouting from her head that curtains every centimeter of her body and waves around on its own in deadly whips. “I seriously don’t care. That girl is such a showoff it’s annoying,” she gurgles. “You’re totally beyond hope. All you’re capable of doing is sucking up to men.”

In the background, I hear Yukio say something about how the evil ghost is most likely the embodiment of the ugly thoughts of women. And, given what she’s saying about Izumo and Shiemi, I have to agree with him. Men don’t typically understand the kinds of thoughts that women tend to have about each other. Jealous thoughts and gossip exchanged at bathroom sinks, in hallways, in dorm rooms at midnight. 

_ Wait. She’s not saying anything about me. Is it because I haven’t said anything to her yet? Maybe there needs to be verbal contact? _ I decide to remain silent and on standby, should anything go wrong. 

“She gets on my nerves,” the ghost moans. “I’d like to exchange faces with her. So lame. This is the worst.”

She’s so annoying. “If this is the worst, how about I show you a good time?” I offer, letting myself flare up a little in anger.  _ So much for being silent and on standby, Rin,  _ I scold myself, mentally slapping myself on the forehead. __

“Princess,” the ghost greets me in disdain. “You’re even worse than the showoff. Flaunting your flames, your heritage, to those around you, yet at the same time disregarding your true father. You make me sick.”

“Yeah? Well I bet I’ve got something that can cure that sickness! Wanna give it a try?” I finally pull Kurikara from its sheath and get into a stance. 

“You won’t use that on me,” says the ghost, grinning horribly behind her hair. 

“And why’s that?” Izumo demands, foxes at the ready. “What’s to say I won’t attack you too?”

Then Shiemi screams. The ghost’s long hair has wrapped itself around her neck and pulled her in. The ghost laughs. “That hairstyle is so lame,” she gurgles. “I bet you were trying to follow the trend. But it doesn’t suit you one bit. You’re a total disaster.”

“Shiemi!” I yell.

Shiemi gasps for air, choking. Nii disappears. Izumo starts saying a prayer, preparing for a special attack with her foxes, and something tells me not to intervene. Instead, I decide to guard her until she’s done. 

“Kamiki… Rin…” Shiemi gasps. 

The ghost laughs again. “Let me tell you because you’re such a poor thing. Those girls don’t think of you as their friend. Too bad for you,” she gurgles. 

Shiemi turns her head to look at the ghost. “I don’t know anything about you,” she says. “But you don’t understand anything about me either. Disappear,” she orders. 

At the same time, Izumo completes her prayer and her foxes take down the ghost. It disappears, and Shiemi collapses to the floor. Or she would have, if I didn’t get there first to catch her in my arms. 

“Shiemi! You okay?” I ask. 

She looks up at me and smiles. “Yes. Thank you, Rin.” I breathe a sigh of relief and release her, making sure she can stand on her own. Then she looks around my body at Izumo with the same smile. “Thank you, Kamiki.”

I turn my body a little so I can see her reaction. She’s biting her lip. “I won’t say this again, so listen well,” Izumo finally says. “I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Shiemi and I are surprised. “It’s okay!” Shiemi reassures her. 

“Well done, you three,” my brother congratulates us as he and the other guys step out from behind the corner. “That was excellent teamwork!”

The three of us get one good look at the five of them. And burst out laughing. Because all of them are dressed as girls, with the complete uniform. Pink skirts, stockings, tan blazers, and the black, red, and white striped scarf tied around their necks. 

Takara, Konekomaru, Yukio, and Renzo are all wearing long wigs, while Ryuuji just has a headband that keeps his bangs down. I’m pretty sure they’re all wearing lipstick, too. Yukio’s wearing his exorcist coat, but for the most part they’re all dressed the same, in the girls’ uniform. 

What surprises me the most, though, is Takara’s appearance. More specifically, his chest and hip areas. And suddenly something clicks in my head.  _ So that’s it, huh…? _

“So  _ that’s  _ what you guys were preparing!” Izumo giggles, pulling me back to reality. 

“I didn’t know that men could look so pretty!” chuckles Shiemi.

“Ha ha! I  _ knew _ you liked wearing skirts, Yukio!” I laugh. “And I didn’t even have to for— I mean, encourage you this time!” Suddenly my legs go out from under me and I’m sitting on the floor, still laughing. I can’t breathe, and I’m crying from laughing so hard. 

“Rin!” Yukio is kneeling in front of me, shaking me. “You know this is for work! Sir Pheles’ orders!”

But that just makes me laugh even more, clinging to my brother with tears of laughter still in my eyes. The fact that he would even follow such an order, one that almost completely undermines any dignity he has left, is  _ killing _ me. Not to mention the fact that Renzo is staring so conspicuously at him now. I’ll have to tell Yukio about Renzo’s crush. Or maybe I’ll have Renzo tell Yukio himself. 

Draped over Yukio’s shoulders, I can’t even stop laughing as I think about Takara.  _ Come to think of it, he didn’t wear a swimsuit to the beach. I can’t believe no one noticed that he’s trans.  _ His height, his face, his voice, that chest beneath his girl’s uniform… it all makes sense. He must wear a binder all the time if no one even considered the possibility.  _ Huh… all this time and I never knew…  _

The next two mysteries we take care of are the moving statue and the empty tram. Since I didn’t really get to fight during the last two, I get a bit over-excited and obliterate both with my flaming sword. 

But even despite that, I notice that something is off with Yukio. Normally, he would have said something about my use of my flames, but he seems deep in thought, like something’s bothering him. When both enemies are defeated, he just sort of wanders off. 

I find him later at our dorm, working at his desk. I almost ask again what he’s hiding from me, but decide against it and just go to bed. It’s been a long day. 

I wake up to someone knocking at our door, and I answer it to find Shura on the other side, here to pick up Yukio. I look for him on his bed, but he’s not there. Instead, my brother has fallen asleep on his desk.

“Brother,” I say, lightly shaking him. He groans, but doesn’t wake up. “Yuki?” I shake him harder, but still my twin remains unresponsive. “Yukio!” I finally yell in his ear, and he jolts into a sitting position, fully awake. “Wake up! Shura’s here to pick you up!”

“Well, this sure is unusual for you…” says Shura.

Blearily, he rubs his eyes, grabs his glasses from where they fell off his face when he sat up so suddenly, and looks at the time on his phone. “I overslept…” Yukio mutters groggily. Honestly, I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. He’s going through a lot, so some extra sleep might do him some good.  _ When’s the last time he actually got a good night’s sleep? _ “I apologize, I’ll get ready right away…”

Suddenly I notice his hair, sticking straight up on one side. I suppose it only comes from sleeping on his desk like that, but still… “Pfft!” I laugh. “Your hair is so messy! Let me take a pic!” But he doesn’t really respond. As if in a daze, he collects his clothes and heads to the bathroom to get ready. “Huh? What’s with him?” I ask Shura. “He’s been kinda off recently.”

“Dunno,” she says.

“Hmm…”  _ What could it be? What isn’t he telling me? _ “I think I should go make him some breakfast,” I decide. Even if he doesn’t stay long enough to eat it here, he can still take something with him. “You want something too, Shura? I’ll make you anything you want to eat.”

“Rin… why do you keep doing this?” Ryuuji scolds me. 

“I’m sorry…” The four of us, Renzo, Konekomaru, Ryuuji, and I, are in the hallway, in between classes, and Ryuuji is the only one who cares enough about it to lecture me about last night. 

“You went and pulled out your sword without batting an eyelid… How long are you going to keep trying to fight on your own?!” 

“Hold up,” Renzo interrupts, “why are you trying to force us into the fight too? We should leave it up to the strong ones to do the fighting. And if that just happens to mean our dear princess has to fight, what of it?”

“Shut up, Shima!” Ryuuji snaps. 

“Look, all I’m saying is that comparing Rin with us is like comparing God to a steaming pile of crap.” 

_ That’s a bit excessive. I’m not God, I’m a half demon. Although… could demons be compared to gods? If so, would that make me a demigod? Satan called himself the god of Gehenna, which obviously makes him the king, and being his daughter makes me a princess of Gehenna. But does that actually make me a demigod?  _ My status is so confusing. But I know I’m not a god, and my human friends aren’t steaming piles of crap. 

“Um,” interrupts Konekomaru before Ryu can answer Renzo, “isn’t that that Godaiin guy you were talking about, Rin?”

I look in the direction he’s indicating and see my classmate. “Oh! Yeah, you’re right! He’s finally showing up to school! Give me a second.” I run to greet him. “Godaiin! Are you alright?”

“R-Rin…” he says nervously, looking around in paranoia. “I’m a bit scared, but I figured I can’t keep skipping school, so…” He doesn’t need to say the rest. 

“I see!” I grin. “Well, it’s good to have you back!”

“Thanks. And… um…” He seems reluctant to say something. 

“Hmm?”

“Just… earlier, it looked as if you had a tail growing out of you or something! It must have been my imagination.”

“Oh.”  _ Crap. I must have forgotten to put it away back then.  _ “Well, I guess there’s no point in hiding it anymore. You weren’t imagining anything. I’m half demon,” I say as nonchalantly as I can to keep him as calm as possible. I feel a large hand on my shoulder, Ryuuji’s hand, warning me not to say anything more, but I continue. “I usually keep my tail hidden under my shirt, but I brought it out to kinda… establish dominance, I guess, over that little guy that scared you so much a few days ago, and I suppose I forgot to put it back. But enough about that. If our current mission goes well, I’ll be able to get you the eye drops that can stop you from seeing demons. So you only have to put up with this for a little longer, okay?”

But instead of looking relieved, he just looks more terrified. “S-sorry…” he apologizes to me, trembling as he walks past. 

_ Maybe I shouldn’t have told him. No, it needed to be done. I couldn’t expect myself to let him believe I was fully human if he already saw my tail. And besides, I already told him about my ears and fangs, the visible traits other than my tail that aren’t human. There’s no way he believed that bogus story about my nonexistent mashou.  _

“Why are you telling him that, if he doesn’t want to see demons?” Ryuuji asks. 

“Because it’s the truth, and he needed to know,” I answer. “He already saw my tail, so there was no point in hiding it from him anymore.”

After school, we all meet up at the site of the next mystery. 

“So today we’re working on the hall of portraits mystery, the one about a portrait that shows you your face of death or something.” says Izumo. 

“So basically it’s a portrait that changes the face it displays every time you look at it, right?”

“That’s all great,” says Konekomaru, “but Mr. Okumura is late.”  _ Yeah, where is that brother of mine, anyway? _ I wonder.

But not for long, because a very familiar-looking white dog comes in. I haven’t seen him use this particular form for a while, but I recognize it. But Izumo doesn’t, because she immediately turns red with excitement, bends down, and starts cooing at him in baby talk. “Mr. Puppy, where did you come wandering in from?”

“Um, Izumo?” I say. I have to warn her. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Huh? Why’s that, Rin? Don’t you like dogs?”

“I’m a bit more into cats, but I like dogs as much as the next person. That’s not a regular dog, though. It’s—” As if on cue, he transforms, poofing into a kneeling position in front of her. I facepalm. “—Mephisto.”  _ King of Time and Space? Hah! More like King of Drama and Theatrics. _

“I do aim to maintain an elusive presence at all times,” Mephisto smirks.

Izumo screams, and scoots back as far as she can. “Sir Pheles, why are you here?!” she says shakily.

“Since Mr. Okumura received urgent summons to the Vatican,” Mephisto says, “I will be standing in for him to watch over you guys today. If I am not mistaken, this hall of portraits is the only remaining mystery left to be solved.”

“Huh?” says Konekomaru, confused. “No way… there are supposed to still be three left for us to tackle…” He shouldn’t be wrong about that. We did four of the seven so far. The kimono, the ghost in the girl’s bathroom, the statue, and the tram.

“My, really?” Mephisto looks puzzled for a moment, then remembers something. “Ah! The seventh mystery, the estate that can never be reached, is about the exorcism shop.”

“What?!” we all shout.

“As it is harmless, we’ll give that one a pass.”

“Since when is your house one of the seven mysteries?” I ask Shiemi.  _ Would she have known about that? _

“I-I had no idea it had become a rumor…” she stammers. “Although I have heard that it’s impossible to physically approach the exorcism shop…”  _ Does that mean that only people with keys can go there? Qualified exorcists who actually need supplies, and not just your average student? Makes sense that it would become a mystery, I suppose. _

“And the sixth mystery,” Mephisto continues, “the ‘wunderkammar,’ is a valued part of my prank collection, so we won’t investigate that one either.”  _ Prank collection? I didn’t know he had one, but I’m absolutely not surprised. This is Mephisto we’re talking about here. _ “Thus, the only remaining mystery to be tackled is indeed this one, the hall of portraits. This portrait is titled ‘the family portrait,’” he points to one that depicts a pretty woman, “and was once part of my prank collection.”  _ Of course it was. Wait, what does he mean it ‘was’? Is it not still? _ “However, recently the number of students who have looked at the portrait, and have, as a result, become significantly traumatized, has drastically risen. As it has become such a dangerous presence, we have no other option left but to exorcise it. Well then, the sun has set and the students have all returned to their dormitories. You may begin.” He vanishes in a puff of smoke and reappears on a balcony above us. “I will be watching over you all from up here.”  _ Is that a portable gaming console he has? He brought out a game?! _ It doesn’t matter. Time to get to work.

“First off,” begins Ryuuji, “we’ve got to analyze our enemy. But that painting… It sure doesn’t look like a family portrait to me. What does it look like to you guys?” 

“The painting of the woman, right?” I say. “You’re right, where’s the family supposed to be?”

“It looks like a single woman to me.”

“Me too.”

“In that case, me too!”

“What do you mean ‘in that case,’ huh?! Kamiki!”  _ Oh, god, here they go again…  _

“I guess it could be a woman,” admits Izumo, deliberately not looking at the painting.

“‘I guess’?! Are you telling the truth or what?!”

“Ryuuji,” I finally say, stepping in. “Stop. It’s not worth it. If she doesn’t want to look at it, she doesn’t have to.”

“But Rin, she started it!”

“No,  _ you _ did, by taking the bait. And we can’t afford to deal with your bickering right now.”  _ Great, I’m the mom friend again. I know I can’t help it when they all act like children, even though we all technically  _ are _ still kids, but still…  _ “What’s most important right now is how we’re going to solve this mystery. Anyone have any ideas?” No one comes forward, so I go ahead and tell them my idea, which will not go over well with Ryuuji. “I wonder if it’ll all be solved if I just cut the painting in half,” I say, still thinking about it.

“R-Rin…” Konekomaru begins, but Ryuuji interrupts him.

“Are you crazy?! We just had a conversation about this!”

“But if it goes well, we would have solved it without the rest of you having to face a dangerous situation! And if I get hurt, I’ll heal in a matter of hours at most!” Maybe even  _ minutes  _ or  _ seconds _ , depending on the severity of the injury.

“I’m all for Rin’s idea…”

“Shima!” Konekomaru scolds.

Without asking anyone’s permission, I walk up to the painting calmly. Then, in one motion, I unsheathe Kurikara and slice the painting in half. It drops to the floor in two pieces. I stare at it for a few seconds. Nothing happens. “Did that do it?” But then everything goes wrong. From the pieces of the painting comes the almost tangible darkness. I blink. I’m in the same room as I was before, but everything’s different. “What the— What is this?” I look around frantically. It’s an almost artificial darkness. I think I’m alone for a moment, but then I see everyone else. “Everyone… Are you alright?!” I ask.

But at the sight of me, Konekomaru screams. “The illegitimate daughter of Satan…” hisses Ryuuji in disgust.

“Don’t come near me!” Renzo yells.

“H-hey…”  _ What’s going on? _

Suddenly Godaiin is here. He takes one look at me, my blue flames, my long ears and fangs, my tail, and cowers back in fear. “D-demon…”

_ Godaiin? _ “E-everyone…”

“Rin!” A voice brings me back to reality. The illusion is broken. Konekomaru, the real one, stands before me, his glasses dangling from his ears down under his chin.

“Konekomaru…?!”  _ Just a moment ago, he was…  _

“This way!” he orders, taking my hand and dragging me toward everyone else. “Quickly, get inside the barrier!” I look around, and see a bunch of tiny demons.  _ These guys… weren’t they the demons that were following Godaiin around? _

  
  


Ryuuji POV

Without asking anyone’s permission, Rin walks up to the painting calmly. Apparently, all she needed was one vote for her idea. Then, in one swift motion, she unsheathes Kurikara and slices the painting in half. It drops, unceremoniously, to the floor in two pieces. She stares at it for a few seconds. Nothing happens. “Did that do it?” she wonders. But then, from the pieces of the painting, comes the almost tangible darkness that fills the room. And then the nightmare begins. 

In it, I only see Rin. Her back is to me, and she’s covered in her flames, just as she was a second ago when she cut the painting in half. Slowly, Rin turns around. A grin I’ve never seen before spreads across her face, and I can see her fangs glistening in the low light. “Hello, Ryu.” I’ve never felt such a menacing aura coming from her before, and it’s terrifying. Not to mention the fact that her clothes are torn and bloody.

“R-Rin?” I stammer. “Where is everyone?”

“Hmm? Oh, you mean them?” she asks, pointing behind her and stepping aside so I can see. 

My eyes widen. They’re all dead. Shima, Koneko, Kamiki, Takara… even Mr. Okumura and Moriyama, both of whom I know Rin loves too much to harm. Near the pile of bodies, I see something shining, and when I get a better look at it, I realize it’s Kurikara. And it’s broken, right in the middle. The two pieces have been tossed aside carelessly. “What happened here…?” I breathe in horror. 

“I killed them all, of course. I even managed to get rid of that stupid girl. Tch!” she spits in disgust.  _ Stupid girl? _ “Strutting around in my body, acting as though she were human, restricting my true power… Well, she’s gone now. Good riddance.”

“W-why…?” That’s the only word I can manage to get out. The Rin I know would never do this. But the thing is, this  _ isn’t _ the Rin I know. According to this person, the Rin I know and love is gone. 

Suddenly the illusion is dissolved, broken by (a thankfully living) Konekomaru. We’re in a protective barrier he set up, and almost everyone else is here. While I calm down, he goes to get Rin. He wakes her from her own nightmare, whatever it is, and, taking her hand, leads her over. 

  
  


Rin POV 

“Just what is going on?” I ask, glancing behind me.

“No, don’t look that way!” Konekomaru warns. “Everyone, form a circle and only look at each other!” I think we’re all too shocked at his tone to disobey. He’s usually pretty mild-mannered, but right now, he’s taken authority. I’m surprised it’s him, but relieved that at least  _ someone  _ knows what to do. “Look, I’m sure you each saw something,” he says as I sheathe my sword and put out my flames, “but you’ve got to keep yourselves calm! That was a shapeshifter possessing the painting.”

“I see,” says Ryuuji. “Shapeshifters are demons that alter their appearance to mirror the viewer’s fears. This one will be a pain to fight against.”

“How were you able to…”

“When Rin drew her sword, I took off my glasses just in case,” Koneko explains.

“Nice thinking as always, Konekomaru,” says Ryuuji proudly. “Now that we know the true identity of our opponent, dealing with it will be a piece of cake. I know five of the lethal verses for shapeshifters. If I chant them all, it might be alright…”

“Bon!” Konekomaru shouts in a scolding tone.

“What?!”

“This barrier won’t hold for much longer. Everyone, please listen to what I’m about to say!”

“Look, I know you’ve been keeping some emotions shut off inside,” accuses Ryuuji. “So spit it out!”

“Bon…” Konekomaru begins. “You have a one track mind! Your abundant knowledge of aria makes you too adamant on settling everything with chants! It’s a bad habit of yours. Also, there’s no need for you to try so hard to unite everyone!” He turns his attention to Renzo. “Shima, why are you aiming to become an aria?”

“Huh? Well… I kinda just wanted to do something to match you and Bon…” 

“At the rate you’re going, you’ll fail the qualification exam for sure,” says Konekomaru bluntly. 

“Ah, well… If that happens, then at least I tried, right?”

“Shima, you’re clearly a knight! Why aren’t you taking this seriously?! Kamiki!” Konekomaru changes his target yet again. 

“W-what do you want?!”

“I don’t know why you keep distancing yourself from us all the time. But you have to fix that habit when we’re facing an enemy! Moriyama, you have to have more confidence!”

“R-right!”

“You have a power that none of us can ever hope to attain, so you should tell us your thoughts as our equal.”

“O-okay…”

“And Takara…”

I look around and only now notice that he’s sitting in a chair a fair distance away. “What the heck? What’s he doing over there? Is he alright?”

“He’s probably fine… Well, we can’t depend on Takara to be part of our attacking force, so I’m going to leave him out of this.”

“And what about me?” He’s mentioned everyone else, so he must have a problem with the way I do things as well. 

“Rin, you are letting us rely on you and your power too much. When a situation arises where we aren’t able to rely on your strength, how will we protect ourselves? Are you telling us to stay stupid and weak forever?” Oh. I suppose he has a point. “We have to become strong as well. So that’s why, even if it’s just when you’re fighting with us, you have to become our trump card.”  _ Trump card? _ “A trump card is the strongest weapon, used only at the end of a fight or at a crucial point of the battle. And above all, having a trump card will put everyone’s minds at ease during the fight. Rin, I want you to have that kind of role from now on.”

_ I can do that.  _ “Got it,” I agree. 

“Everyone, please entrust me with planning a strategy! Please!” Konekomaru begs. 

“I don’t mind,” I admit. 

“I don’t have an opinion,” says Izumo. 

“I’m fine with it!” Shiemi agrees. 

“Then, I’m the same as you guys,” says Renzo. 

“Alright,” says Ryuuji. “Show us what you can do!”

Konekomaru nods, and begins strategizing. “Moriyama, can you produce a plant from the barberry family? Any kind will do.” She does as she’s told. “First, using the fruit of the barberry plant, we will perform a spell to awaken our souls. Bon, you perform the chants. This spell should protect our minds from the shapeshifter’s trickery.” Once that’s done, Konekomaru continues. “With this, we should be able to look directly at the shapeshifter safely.”

“Woah, this is what it really looks like?!” It looks like a gigantic, living, three-dimensional ink splatter.

“Its way bigger than I imagined!”

“This barrier will break soon,” says Konekomaru calmly. “Also, this spell will only last as long as the person who cast it remains alive. Shima, Rin, please protect Bon from the demons with all your strength!”

“Ugh,” Renzo groans, “looks like I don’t have much of a choice…”

“Moriyama,” says Konekomaru, ignoring Renzo, “could you also produce some kind of barricade using plants?”

“Yes! Nii, produce the mountain spirit hornbeam please!”

“Nii!”

A barricade of tree roots surrounds Ryuuji, and he doesn’t look too happy. “I can’t believe I’m being protected by a girl…” he grumbles. 

“You know, you’re acting like a princess again,” I tell him, feeling more amusement than what I’m showing on my face. 

“Would you stop it with that, Rin?! The only princess around here is you!”

I flash a pointy-toothed grin at him and stick out the tip of my tongue for a moment to tell him that no, I will not stop. He seems to realize this, and finally just gives up. 

“Bon, restrain yourself!” Konekomaru orders. “Kamiki, please perform the official ‘Tamayura Purification’ prayer on the shapeshifter!”

“Tch! If you mess things up after ordering us around like that, I won’t forgive you!” Izumo says before reciting the prayer. 

But when she’s done, nothing happens. Then Konekomaru figures out that there are three other paintings to complete the “family portrait,” and Izumo, Renzo, and I destroy all four at once. After that, there’s a huge explosion of light, and our job is done. 

“Yeah! We did it, Konekomaru!” I shout happily, thanking his intelligence. 

“Thanks for your hard work, Suguro,” says Shiemi as she releases him from the protective barricade. 

Suddenly, Konekomaru sinks to the ground, panting and sweating. “I apologize,” he says shakily. “All I did was order you guys around. But I wanted to participate in the fighting at least a little. I feel embarrassed…”

“You got it right,” says Ryuuji, “I kept thinking I should fight alone. I’m sorry! You’re good at keeping an eye on your surroundings. You’d make a great advisor.”

“But you know, Ryuuji,” I say, patting his shoulder, “you did pretty well yourself. I mean, y’know, for a princess.” He doesn’t even yell at me about it. He just groans, accepting his new nickname.  _ Victory! _

Mephisto appears in front of us, and congratulates us on our success. But he owes me. I glare at him as I hold out my hand, inviting him to pay me what I am due. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten,” says Mephisto, snapping his fingers. The tiny bottle appears in my hand. “The eyedrops, just as I promised.”

“Finally!” I shout as I run away. “I’m going to go visit Godaiin!”

His roommate opens the door when I knock. Only now do I realize how this looks. A girl visiting a boy’s dorm at night to deliver something… Oh, god, I hope he doesn’t get the wrong idea. But Godaiin is called without too many questions when I ask for him. 

“Here,” I say, holding out the bottle. “This is the medicine I told you about, the eye drops that will stop you from seeing demons.” I drop it into his outstretched hand. “I’m happy for you!” I grin. “Well, I’ll see you later!” I turn to leave, and get a few steps before he calls out to me. 

“Rin,” he says. I turn around. “You said you were half demon, but what kind of situation are you in exactly? Aren’t you scared?”

_ Scared? Well, to be honest…  _ “Yeah, I’m scared. But I’m strong, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by a bunch of great friends. So I’ll be alright.” I give him one last encouraging smile, and head back down to where my cram school classmates are apparently waiting for me. 

“There you are!” says Ryuuji. “Come on, let’s go eat some monja!”

“Everyone was worried about you, Rin!” says Shiemi. 

“Not me! I’m only here because I didn’t want to be left alone with Sir Pheles and Takara.”

“I’m here because I thought it would suck if you’d forgotten about monja and gone straight home.”

“Uh, you could have just sent her a text for that…”

_ I love these guys, _ I think as I join them. 

I wake up on Sunday morning to the sound of my dorm room door opening and closing. I’m lying on my stomach, face in my pillow and the familiar weight of Kuro on my back. I open my eye, still sleepy, and see my brother coming in.  _ Well, look what the cat dragged in.  _ “Oh, you’re back,” I mumble into my pillow. 

“Did you manage to complete the special mission?” No ‘hello’ or ‘good morning, Rin’ for me. He never used to be like this… I just make a noise of affirmation. “Well, that’s good. Were you able to give Godaiin the eye drops?” A thumbs up over my shoulder. “Good for you. Don’t stay in bed all day just because it’s the weekend, alright, sister?”  _ Aww, but it’s comfy here… And I can’t move if there’s a cat on me… _ “I’m heading out again after I take a bath,” he informs me. 

“You’re so busy all the time, brother,” I complain. “There isn’t even any cram school today.”

“Regardless of whether there’s cram school or not, I still have to prepare for lessons.”  _ Yeah, well, you should just quit your stupid teaching job. You’re stretched too thin as it is. Student, teacher, exorcist… You have too many roles, brother.  _ “And I also promised to meet up with Shiemi today.”

_ What?! _ “Oh?” I smirk, giving him some knowing eyes. “You two sure have been sneaking around a lot recently. Are you dating? You’re going to break your admirer’s heart if you do that.”

I was expecting him to blush, but Yukio just rolls his eyes. “You know I don’t have feelings for her like that, right?” Yukio scoffs. “She’s my friend, and what we’re doing is about as far from dating as you can get. Anyway, I’m headed out.” And just like that, he’s gone. 

The next day, I’m in my seat, waiting for class to start. As usual, I’ve already pulled my hair in front of my right shoulder and used the clip Ryuuji gave me to keep it out of my face. I’m watching a demon lurking around in the front of the room. It’s small fry compared to what I’ve faced, and doesn’t seem to be doing anything malicious in particular, so I let it be. 

I’m lost in thought, wondering how to set up Yukio and Shiemi, because it’ll be difficult if I only see Shiemi in cram school and Yukio is always busy with school and exorcisms and teaching, when I hear a voice beside me. “That demon has been loitering around here for ages.”

“Huh? Godaiin?” 

“Morning,” he greets me.

“You can still see them? Why? What about the eye drops?”  _ I was sure he would have taken them as soon as I gave them to him! _

“I haven’t used them,” he admits. “But is it alright if I keep them for now?”

“Well, sure… But aren’t you scared?”

“I’m scared,” he admits. “But I have a dream and friends and a family as well.” He smiles gratefully down at me and pats my shoulder. “If anything happens, I’ll put in a formal request for your help.”

_ He doesn’t seriously think he can actually do that now, does he?!  _ “You know I’m only a student in training, right?! And I worked my tail off to get you those eye drops!” And, little to the knowledge of my other classmates, I do mean my actual tail. 

“Ah, really? Thanks,” he says as he sits down. 

_ Well, at least he’s grateful for all my hard work.  _ I can’t help but smile and shake my head. _He’s going to wish he’d taken those eye drops soon enough, though. He hasn’t even seen the worst of what this world of demons has to offer._


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The school festival is about to begin, and some people are having trouble finding dates to the dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since the last update. I was simultaneously too busy, lazy, and unsatisfied with this chapter to post it. I finally finished editing it, though, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Rin POV

The days are getting colder as autumn and many other changes are getting underway. Long-sleeved shirts and sweaters are coming out, and a lot of the girls have started wearing thick leggings under their skirts instead of thin socks and stockings (I’m no exception, even  _ with _ my flames).

I think my classes have been going well lately, both in the regular school and the cram school. I’m far from being at the top of my classes, but I’m not quite at the bottom either, which is encouraging. I think that the study sessions I started having with Ryuuji help with that. In our free time, on the weekends, he has offered to help me with my homework. So whenever he can, he comes to my dorm so we can have study sessions. 

Meanwhile, Yukio has been relieved of his teaching position at the cram school, only for our dad, Shiro Fujimoto, to take over his former job once more. Safe to say, I think we were all shocked, and Renzo looked more than a little disappointed that Yukio was gone. Ryuuji seemed a bit nervous meeting my dad for the first time, even as just his student, but once Dad proved he wouldn’t be a threat to my boyfriend, Ryuuji relaxed. 

Dad found out about my relationship with Ryuuji because a certain brother of mine told him. He talked to me after class on his first day back, not shy to show his disappointment, but once I told him that it was Tatsuma Suguro’s son, he seemed okay with it. He still went into full protective-father-mode, though, warning me not to let anything too intimate happen between us — without protection, that is. He still doesn’t want to become a grandpa yet. I tried to reassure him that I wasn’t ready for something like that yet, and neither was Ryuuji, but then he called me a prude (jokingly, of course, but I know he wants me to wait until marriage, which I’m fine with). I almost responded that if he wanted to call anyone a prude, it was Yukio, because he’s so oblivious to the many people who have crushes on him, but I guess that comes with the territory of being ace. 

Still, though, Dad seemed to be fine with my relationship, and I’m surprised how much distance he’s giving me and Yukio to live our own lives. Maybe it’s because we’re not living at the monastery anymore, but he’s not trying to dictate what we do with our lives. He’s letting us make our own decisions, and live as we see fit. He’s giving us room to grow and become independent, and I’m grateful for that. He also resumed his role as the paladin, having gone through enough physical therapy to be in fighting and teaching condition again. I’m happy for him. I’m glad he is well enough to retake his position from Arthur August Angel, who  _ is _ strong, I’ll admit, but if we’re talking about character, Angel is completely the wrong person for the job. He’s a terrible man (to me, anyway) with awful fashion sense who nearly cut off my lower leg without provocation. My leg  _ did _ heal itself soon afterward, of course, but my hatred of him was born that day. I just hope Dad doesn’t find out that Angel almost cut my leg off, and as far as I know, that bit of old news hasn’t reached his ears yet. 

But enough of the former acting paladin. Now, something big is about to happen, something we all have to prepare for: the school festival.

“Let’s take a vote on what our class will be doing at the school festival,” announces our class representative. “It’s been decided that 1-D will be in charge of light meals. Please write down what light meal you’d like to make.” Sheets of paper are passed back.

“Really…?”  _ Light meals? That’s almost insulting to my abilities, but I suppose I can make it work. _

“Light meals…” ponders Godaiin. “How about things like tonjiru and onigiri?” he asks me. “Famous chain stores set up stalls at our school festival too, so it’d be best if we take a pick from the usual choices, right?”

“Are you serious?!”  _ That’ll be almost  _ too _ easy! I mean, yeah, it’ll be fun to cook for so many people, but it won’t even take me that much effort to do those things. I guess the most challenging parts will be making sure that everyone else has a job and keeping a large stock of ingredients so we don’t run out of them. _

“Tonjiru is overdoing it, I guess?”

“How?!”  _ Is he crazy? _ “Tonjiru is a specialty of mine, and I can even make onigiri into triangles. Let me write that down too!”

“Oh, really? That’s surprising.”

“It really surprised me that in the end, tonjiru and onigiri were chosen,” I tell Godaiin as we walk down the hallway after class. A lot of people voted for them, though probably because they thought it’d be easy for them to whip up. But if I ever get put in charge of the cooking, they’re going to regret thinking that.

“Me too. The True Cross Academy festival is a pretty grand event, with live television broadcasts and all,” Godaiin comments.

“Yeah. I’m a local, so I’ve come here many times to enjoy it. It’s awesome at night, with things like balloons and bright lights!” I’m actually really excited. “I didn’t think it would ever be my turn to do it…! I didn’t get a proper chance to take part in it when I was in elementary and middle school, so I’m really looking forward to it!”

“I’m also looking forward to it,” admits Godaiin. “But I’m a little bummed about the dance party…”

“Dance party?” 

“You didn’t know? On the second night of the school festival, at Mephy Land, there will be a student-only music festival. Look! That poster!” He points out a flyer pinned to a bulletin board. Sure enough, I see that all sorts of bands will be playing. “As a rule, you must be a couple to enter.” I kind of understand what he’s getting at here. “And I don’t really know any other girls.” Honestly, I would go with him if I wasn’t already taken. But that’s why he isn’t asking me. I made sure to tell him about Ryuuji as soon as he started showing romantic interest in me (he asked me out on a date once, but never again after I declined because he respects my boundaries and is happy enough being my friend, which isn’t a downgrade in his opinion). 

“Come on, Ryu! Please?” I beg desperately. I just told him that we should go to the dance together, and he just said no. We just finished cram school, and we’re all still in the classroom, talking.

“Why are you so set on this anyway? We have the exorcist qualification exams in three months. I’m aiming to pass both aria and dragoon on the first attempt.”  _ Trust him to be the voice of reason. Such a killjoy sometimes…  _

“But it’s only for one night,” I plead. “And it’ll be fun! You need to relax a little every now and again, don’t you?”

“Look, Rin…” He sighs, not bothering to finish.

“I know you still need to practice firearms,” I tell him earnestly. “But working too hard can be bad for you! Look at Yukio if you want an example!” Yukio is almost a new man, now that he’s not focused on teaching anymore. He’s only a little more relaxed though, because he still has his exorcist duties to attend to as well as his normal schoolwork.

Ryuuji looks like he wants to say something, but decides against it. “Rin, I’m not saying no. But we’ll talk about it later, alright?”

He really needs to loosen up. He’s almost as uptight as Yukio still is. “Yeah,” I agree reluctantly.

But the moment Ryu leaves, Renzo shamelessly asks, “You know, if he won’t go with you, you and I could always—”

“Absolutely not.” 

“Please?” Renzo begs. “It’ll just be as friends!”

I laugh. “You’d be the last person on my list of potential dates, Renzo, even as friends. But if you want my advice, you’d better ask my second option before I do,” I tease. 

I’m unable to find my second option, or, in other words, my brother, but he comes home before I go to sleep. I’m in bed, reading manga under the covers, when he walks in.

“Welcome home, dear,” I say, looking up from my manga.

“Hello, Mom,” he responds tiredly, loosening his tie.  _ Well, at least he’s not too tired to joke around a little. _ We have had this private inside joke going on ever since I was elected the mom friend. I will sometimes call him my son, and he will respond by calling me his mom. But that’s as far as it goes. At the end of the day, he and I are still siblings.

“Long day?”

“Yeah.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No.” He shrugs out of his exorcist coat and goes to grab his bath supplies. If he gets in the shower now, I won’t have an opportunity. 

I decide it’s now or never. “Hey, Yuki?”

“What is it?”

“You know about the festival coming up, right?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Well, you see, there’s this dance on the second night, and I was hoping, as my darling, loyal, little brother, you’d go with me.”

Yukio looks at me silently for a very long moment. “What? Why me? Isn’t it a couples only dance? You already have a boyfriend.”

“Who put me on hold when I asked.”

“What?! I thought he’d do anything for you!” He narrows his eyes. “I swear, if he breaks your heart, I’ll break his legs!” Yukio growls.

“Easy there, you four-eyed mole face,” I scold, trying to calm him down. “Ryuuji wants to focus on passing the exorcist exam for both dragoon and aria. He’s working hard for it, and I understand and respect that there’s a possibility he’ll say no. So, seeing as how you’re already an exorcist, I thought I’d ask you.”

Yukio’s eyes are practically bugging out in shock. He’s unable to speak for a minute before he gets his voice back. “Are you crazy, Rin? What’ll people think?! We’re siblings, not dating!”

“No, we’re not a romantic couple,” I agree.  _ And thank goodness for that. _ “But you and I are a pair nonetheless, and I do love you, Yukio.” We already act like a mother with her adult son anyway, with him working and coming home tired after a long day, and with me trying to cook for and care for him. 

My twin sighs. “I love you too, Rin. But I’m not going to go to the festival dance with you.”

Something clicks in my mind. I smirk. “Is it because you already have someone in mind?” I ask deviously. 

“What?! No!” Yukio vehemently denies. 

“You  _ do _ !”  _ This is fantastic! _ “Yukio Okumura, you want to ask someone to the dance, don’t you?! Don’t think I won’t find out who it is if you don’t tell me!” I tease

I have never seen my brother run so quickly from a room before.

Over the next few days, I find out that Renzo isn’t the only one who wanted to ask me to the dance. I have had to turn down many boys and a few girls left and right. In class, in the hallway, while I’m eating lunch. This only goes on for a few days, but already I’ve been asked out by more guys than I can count or remember the names of. I’m exhausted. I’m so tired of telling them no, that I have a boyfriend, that they should go ask someone else. But whenever I’m alone, they just don’t stop coming. I never get a moment of peace. I actually think a few of them tried to ask me out more than once. In the meantime, I find that Renzo is having the opposite problem. He keeps asking out girls, but it turns out they all refuse him. He’s on the verge of asking Yukio now, but since my brother is not our teacher anymore, Renzo can’t find an opportunity to. 

Then, before regular school one day, Ryuuji looks like the walking dead. Renzo, Konekomaru, and I are walking up the steps when we see him approaching us, looking as though his soul has been sucked out of his body.

“Ryu? What happened?!”

“He’s worried about the dance party,” Konekomaru tells me.

“Why? Don’t tell me he actually decided to go!”

“This morning, after rejecting an invitation from a girl from class by telling her he had a girlfriend, she started crying. So he received serious damage to his heart.”

I rub Ryuuji’s shoulder sympathetically. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I tell him. “I know what it’s like to turn someone down. Although, I kinda became immune to it after the first twenty people. You kinda stop feeling sorry for them after a while.”

Ryuuji finally snaps out of his depressed trance. “Huh? How many guys asked you to the dance?”

I shrug. “I lost count. But it got annoying pretty quickly. What don’t some guys get about the word ‘no’? At least the girls who asked me were understanding.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you already have a date to the dance,” he says, putting one arm around my waist. 

_ Is he saying what I think he’s saying? _ I look up at his face to make sure he’s not joking. “You mean… you’re… Really?!” He nods, grinning. I gasp. “Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, Ryu!”

“Well, I knew it means a lot to you, and I’d be a pretty crappy boyfriend if I didn’t take you, so, y’know…” he chuckles bashfully, his face turning a little pink. 

“Hey! Good morning everyone!” a new voice greets us, and coming towards us is the last person I expect to see here. 

“Moriyama?”

“Shiemi? What are you doing at school?” I ask, surprised. 

“Ah… You see, from now on, I’ll be everyone’s classmate! Please take care of me!”

“Really?” I gasp. “Shiemi, that’s great!” Before I know it, I’m hugging her, and she’s hugging me, and my face hurts because I’m smiling so much. I finally let go of her so she can breathe, but I take her hands instead. “You have no idea how happy this makes me! Truly!”

She graces me with her angelic grin. “I’ve had Yuki teaching me this whole time! But I wanted to keep it a secret from everyone until I passed!” She’s blushing bright red, but in pride rather than embarrassment. 

“So that’s what the two of you have been secretly doing! That jerk, keeping something like that from his own sister…” I knew they couldn’t possibly be flirting, but had no idea that he’d been tutoring her this whole time. 

“Huh?”

“Oh! Nothing!”

“Shiemi,” calls Yukio. He’s waiting for her by the door. “The faculty room is this way.”

“Ah, yes! See you later!” She waves at us. “If we end up in the same class, please take care of me!” 

As they go inside together, I nudge Renzo. “Hey, you wanted an opportunity to ask him, right?” I whisper. “Most likely Yuki won’t go into the office with Shiemi, so now’s the perfect time.”

Renzo’s eyes widen. “You’re right! Thanks, Rin!” He runs off. “See you guys later!”

I grin.  _ Good luck, Renzo,  _ I think at him encouragingly. 

I’m walking to lunch when I see two familiar faces in the hallway. I run up to greet them. “Shiemi! Paku!”

“Rin!” Shiemi calls, waving. 

“How’s your first day going?” I ask. 

“Great! Everyone is so nice!” Shiemi answers happily.

“Hey, why are you at school, Moriyama?” Izumo just arrived. 

“She just started today,” says Paku cheerfully. “She’s in class B with me!”

“Yeah! Rin, Kamiki, let’s have lunch together!” Shiemi suggests.

“For real?” Izumo asks skeptically, clearly on the verge of declining. 

“We’d love to!” I accept gratefully, shooting Izumo a look to tell her to be nice. 

Paku and Shiemi are chatting up a storm, and I couldn’t be happier. They’re getting along really well. I usually eat lunch with the guys, so it’s nice to sit with my girl friends for a change. 

“I’m really happy we’re in the same class! I didn’t get to see you as much after you quit cram school!” Shiemi tells Paku happily. 

“Me too! You’ve grown up a little bit, you know?”

“Eh, really?! Is it the hair? I’m letting it grow out, to look more mature…”

“It suits you well!”

“Thanks!”

“Can I call you Shiemi?”

“Yes! Please do! Then I’ll call you…” Shiemi trails off for a second, unsure, but Paku helps her out. 

“Noriko or Nori is fine! You can call me that too if you want, Rin!” I’m startled out of my trance when she addresses me. I wasn’t expecting her to bring me into this. 

“Huh? Oh, sure! We’re all friends, right?” I agree. 

“Really?” Paku’s— no, Noriko’s— eyes sparkle happily. “Thank goodness!”

“Then Kamiki,” says Shiemi, “can I call you Izumo?”

“Don’t get me involved!”

“I’m sorry about Izumo,” Noriko apologizes. “She can be quite moody.”

“Ah, that’s okay,” says Shiemi gracefully. 

“By the way,” says Noriko, “you’ve entered the school at a good time. The school festival is coming up soon.”

“Oh, that’s right! It’s wonderful every year, though I can only watch from home these days…”

“I see. But you’ll be able to participate this year, like in the dance party and stuff!”

“Dance party?”

“On the second day of the festival, there’s a music festival for students only,” Noriko explains. “But we call it the dance party. We have famous artists visiting, and you can dress up and enjoy yourself until late at night! Everyone’s really looking forward to it!”

“Ah…” Shiemi gasps, her eyes sparkling. “That sounds nice! I want to go!”

“But there’s one condition. Only couples can participate.”

“Couples? Do… do you mean lovers?”

“I guess so. Most people do. Right now at school, more and more people are getting together.”

“I see… Everyone’s so grown up!”

Even Noriko can see that Shiemi’s not ready for something like that yet. “But wouldn’t it be fine to go with a friend? I’m going with a senpai, though we’re not close at all. Why don’t you ask someone out, Shiemi?”

“Hah,” interrupts Izumo. “No need. It’s just a matter of time until she gets invited.”

“That’s true,” I confirm. “She  _ is _ pretty cute. Sooner or later, someone is going to invite her. I’d ask her myself if I didn’t already agree to go with Ryuuji,” I admit.

“I… I think I’ll invite someone,” Shiemi decides. 

“Eh? Who? Who are you inviting?” Noriko demands playfully. 

“I don’t know,” she admits. “I haven’t really met anyone outside the cram school yet, and even then I don’t really have many options.”

“That’s right,” I agree. “Ryuuji and I are going together, Renzo wants to go with Yukio, and I doubt Takara wants to participate. That leaves Koneko, but I think I heard he already has a date, or Izumo, if you’re interested.” 

“Ooh, I see!” Shiemi exclaims in understanding. “Then, Izumo, do you want to go to the dance with me?”

Sometimes I’m astounded by her forwardness. I only mentioned Izumo as a joke, but Shiemi took it seriously, apparently. Nori and I exchange a look and giggle quietly while Izumo blushes bright red in embarrassment. “D-don’t just say it outright like that, idiot!” Izumo scolds. “Fine, I’ll go with you, but only because I feel sorry for you!”

Ryuuji POV

By the lockers after gym class, I overhear a girl asking Mr. Okumura —  _ no, Yukio,  _ I have to remind myself — to the dance. He’s not my teacher anymore. As such, Rin just said it’d be fine if we all just call him Yukio now. He didn’t really object, so we kept doing it. 

“Thank you for the offer,” he says politely, “but I will be working as a staff member, so I won’t have time to play.”

“Eh? Why is it… You could skip it!” the girl protests. 

“Sorry, but I can’t, so…”

When I see the girl and her friend leave in disappointment, I approach him. “Yukio,” I greet him. “It must be hard being popular.”

“Not really popular,” he shrugs as I open my locker. “More like…” He stops when he sees the love letter flutter out of my locker. I watch it with a disappointed frown as it falls to the floor. “You too, Suguro!”

“What is this all of a sudden?!” I demand. “I’m already spoken for! Don’t people know that?!”

“Saying ‘I’ll be working as a staff member’ is a safe way to turn them down,” he suggests, amused. 

“Brilliant idea, but I’ve got a date with your sister already, so I can’t use that excuse,” I tell him. 

In the background, I hear a nosy eavesdropper comment too loudly, “Suguro’s dating Okumura’s sister?!”

“I didn’t know he had a sister! Do you think she’s as hot as he is?” another eavesdropper asks. 

Yukio’s amused grin disappears.  _ Oops. Probably shouldn’t have told him that.  _ “You’re going with Rin?”

Might as well tell him. “Yeah. I didn’t want to go at first, when she asked, but then I accepted because it means so much to her.”

“Then you did what I could not,” he admits sheepishly. 

This surprises me. “You turned down your own  _ twin _ ?! Why?!”

“They’re  _ twins _ ?!” gasps the first guy who couldn’t mind his own business. 

“I turned her down  _ because  _ she’s my sister.”

“So if you weren’t working security, did you have someone else in mind?” I ask. I know he’s ace, but I don’t think it would be a bad idea to find out. Sexual and romantic attraction aren’t the same thing, after all.  _ Did Shima successfully manage to ask him as Rin suggested? _

He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t even look at me as he rummages through his locker, his cheeks slightly pink. 


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The school festival begins, Rin’s store is very popular, Izumo goes missing, and the esquires discover that there is a traitor in their midst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry everyone! It’s been a literal month since I’ve updated, but I’ve just been so busy with school, work, and editing that I haven’t had a chance until now (please don’t hate me). I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and I promise I will try to be better about posting, since I’m in my last week of summer semester.

Rin POV

The first day of the festival has arrived. Everyone has spent so much time and effort setting up, and it all looks fantastic. After a very short (but flashy) entrance ceremony hosted by Mephisto (as Headmaster Johann Faust, as everyone else knows him), the festival finally begins in earnest. 

I don’t know what my other friends are doing, but I don’t have time to worry about them, because I’m preoccupied with my own job. Class 1-D’s onigiri and tonjiru booth is fully functional and swiftly gaining popularity. 

I somehow took charge of the whole thing from the very beginning, when our teacher asked who could cook. Mine was one of the first hands in the air, among about a third of my other classmates. I got more than a few astounded looks (and comments) in my direction, mostly from those who were skeptical. But then someone suggested that we bring in samples of our cooking for everyone to try, and, not one to back down from a challenge, I whipped up a large batch of simple onigiri for my classmates. I normally presented myself as more reserved in class, but this was one area in which I couldn’t hold back. Needless to say, everyone found my cooking delicious (although, the word they used was ‘godlike’), and I somehow got roped into the role of ‘head chef’. The next weekend, a bunch of my classmates showed up at my dorm (uninvited) for a cooking lesson, forcing me to decide who could cook with me (and follow my instructions) and those who couldn’t. Ultimately, I ended up with only a few other people I would allow to cook with me. In the meantime, the others sorted out amongst themselves who would produce the uniform designs, build the booth, price the items, and work as the cashiers. 

Currently, I am making onigiri and tonjiru as fast as I can to stay ahead of demand. More and more people keep lining up, so I know that word of our existence must be spreading. But strange how therapeutic this is for me. While my assistants are panicking, I remain totally calm as I quickly and efficiently whip out neat onigiri triangles. My only worry now is if we’ll have enough supplies to make it through the day, but as long as we keep getting customers, we shouldn’t have too much of a problem restocking. 

“Wow!” says a familiar voice. “Festivals are truly good stuff!”

“It’s the headmaster! And who’s that old priest next to him?” I look up from my work and see Mephisto dancing down the aisle of booths in our direction, followed by my exasperated father. 

“Oh, headmaster! Dad!” I greet them, making sure not to call the headmaster ‘Mephisto’ as I usually do. “Come and eat. Ah, but line up properly, yeah?”

“Okumura?!” Mephisto seems surprised to see me. “Just what are you selling out here?!” 

“Ooh, what’s this, Rin?” Dad asks, grinning. 

Unsurprisingly, neither of them decide to get in line. They just walk straight up to the booth, and Mephisto orders me to give him whatever we’re serving. “Don’t be so greedy,” I scold as I hand them each one onigiri that I’ve just made. 

“Let’s see…” Mephisto murmurs thoughtfully as he tries it. The look on his face is priceless after his first bite. 

But my dad isn’t afraid to speak his mind about it. “This is delicious, Rin!” He winks. “Don’t be surprised if you get more than a few love confessions after this,” he teases. 

“Daaaad!” I groan, but I’m laughing. 

Meanwhile, Mephisto takes a moment to compose himself before he speaks. “Hmm. I’ve taken quite a liking to it…!”  _ That’s  _ the understatement of the year. He looked like he was in heaven for a moment there, and that wouldn’t be possible for a demon like him. “Set up your food stall inside the True Cross festival’s meeting place tomorrow. I have the budget for all the equipment and so forth.”

“Huh?!”  _ Is this really happening?! _

“However, hire a few more female workers. It’s filthy.” He snaps his fingers, and a pile of kimono-style maid uniforms, identical to the one I’m wearing, wrapped in plastic appears in my arms. And then Mephisto is gone. 

“I’d better follow him to make sure he doesn’t cause too much mischief,” my dad tells me apologetically. “Keep up the good work, sweetie!” He waves goodbye as he leaves to find Mephisto. I wave back, then turn my attention to the packages in my arms. 

I stare at the uniforms for a few seconds before turning to Godaiin, who is currently on duty as cashier. We stare at each other for a moment before I let out a cheer. “Yes! Our persistence has paid off!” We high five. 

He grins. “Well, it was mainly thanks to your cooking, and your efforts to teach everyone else to cook. You’re amazing, you know that?” My face feels hot as I laugh bashfully and nervously rub the back of my neck. “So that priest guy was your dad?”

“Yeah. He adopted me and my brother when we were babies, and raised us in a nearby monastery. He teaches at the cram school I go to, which I guess is why he’s here now,” I admit. 

“Come on, I’m sure it was so he could see you doing so well here,” Godaiin reassures me. “But,” he says more somberly, “tomorrow, the majority of our classmates are participating in the dance party… So I wonder if we’ll have enough workers…”

“Don’t forget that the majority of the other classes will be participating in the dance party as well,” I remind him. “I doubt we’ll have too many customers if they’re all dancing. I have a couple of friends I can ask to cover shifts if we need it.”

He does have an excellent point, though. Our booth is  _ really  _ popular. And I only trust a few other people to produce onigiri and tonjiru as well as I can. Well, mostly. They’re close enough, anyway. Besides, I have a date to the dance as well.  _ I guess I’ll have to tell Ryuuji that I won’t be able to come out until later. Maybe if I prepared a bunch of food for our stall in advance, so that we’d have extra in stock when we aren’t able to keep up with customers… Well, no sleep for me tonight. _

“Izumo!” I call, running to catch up with her, my sword bouncing on my back. 

“What?” she says impatiently. 

“I finally found you! Are you heading home from cram school?”

“Yeah. What is it?” It’s very clear she wants to get this over with, so I go ahead and say it. 

“I need a favor!” I get down on one knee, bow my head, and hold up one of the uniforms Mephisto gave me. “I’m counting on you, Izumo! Please wear this, and help me by being our cashier tomorrow before the dance!”

“No!” she snaps. “How about you ask Shiemi?”

“I’m going to,” I promise. “But I need a lot of help, and this is work! So I have to ask someone I trust! It can’t be just anyone!” I stand up. “You and Shiemi can go to the dance afterward! Please?” I beg. 

“Wha… Ah, geez… okay, fine! I’ll help you!” She snatches the uniform from my hands and turns to leave. 

“Really?” I’m surprised, but grateful. “Thank you so much! I’m saved! I’ll treat you to some ice cream afterward! You’re always helping me out! I’ll return this favor someday!”

“You…” Izumo growls irritably. “Shiemi also… When will you just learn to look at the other side of people? Besides,” she says, looking back at me with a sad look in her eye, “I don’t trust anyone.” And then Izumo is gone. 

“Did I say something to annoy her?” I wonder aloud. 

“Rice ball set, spam, plum hijiki, and arajiru please,” the girl at the front of line orders. 

“Okay,” Godaiin acknowledges. “Set, spam, plum, and arajiru!” he calls back. 

“Coming up!” I answer, preparing the order.  _ Izumo’s not coming, _ I think in irritation.  _ If she were, she would have shown up by now. Right? At least Shiemi agreed and took a morning shift. _ Oh well. All I can do is immerse myself in my work.  _ Cooking really is a relaxing activity… _

Order after order comes, and each is quickly delivered. I stop paying attention to who the customers are, instead becoming entirely focused on preparing what they’re ordering. Until someone orders two sets of rice balls “and a princess,” that is.

“Eh? Princess?” Godaiin asks cluelessly. 

My head snaps up, and there he is.  _ Of course he would.  _ I groan. “He means me,” I tell Godaiin. “It’s kind of a pet name.” I mean, I can’t exactly just  _ tell _ him that I actually am a princess. How would a regular human like Godaiin handle something like that?  _ Well, he handled the whole demon thing relatively well, so maybe… No, now isn’t the best time. _

“Hey there, Rin,” Ryuuji greets me.

“What are you doing here?” Surprise doesn’t quite seem to accurately describe how I’m feeling as I prepare his order. 

He shrugs. “Well, I heard about how great this place was, with its amazing food and hot female chef, so I came to check it out. And to take you to the dance, of course.”

“What? Okay, first of all, I doubt people are actually saying  _ that _ , and second, Ryu, I’m working. I know I wanted to go, but I’m needed here. You know how big the line is. You experienced it firsthand.” I hand him his food. 

“Couldn’t you take just a little break?”

“Actually,” interrupts Godaiin, “we’re probably able to manage by ourselves for now. So you can go for a while if you want to.”

“Are you sure? Is it really okay?” I ask, surprised. 

“Of course,” my friend reassures me. “Even our best chef needs a break now and then.”

I don’t know why he’s letting me go, but I’m grateful. “Thanks!” I say as I grab the Koma sword and sling it over my shoulder. “Hey, let me know if that Kamiki girl comes. She might be at the dance right now, but she promised she’d help me.”

“Okay!”

“It’s really alright?” Ryuuji asks as he takes my hand. 

“Yeah. I think I can trust them not to burn down the stall while I’m gone.” I grin as I pull off my headband with my free hand. It takes me a moment to realize I’m still wearing my uniform and apron, but only another moment for me to realize that I don’t care. 

“You know, of the lot of you, I’m pretty sure  _ you’re _ the one most likely to burn it down,” he teases as he gives me one set of his onigiri. 

“Shut up!” I laugh. “So where to?”

“How about we just walk around a bit, and see if we can find people we know?”

That sounds like just what I need. “Sure.”

We walk hand in hand, eating onigiri, until we finally go into the music festival and dance area, not seeing anyone but Shiemi, who is looking for Izumo. Apparently, Izumo never showed up for the dance either. We offer to help her look, but she politely declines. 

Yukio POV:

I stand side by side with Shima, surveying the people on the dance floor. I never thought that something like this would actually happen, much less in this setting, but I don’t think it’s a problem. 

We are officially on security duty at the dance party, but, unofficially, Shima is regarding this as a date (I will never tell him, or anyone else, that I do too). 

Despite the fact we’re working, I’m actually enjoying myself a little. The guy I only recently realized I like has agreed to forfeit his ability to participate in the dance for my sake, and if I didn’t have my job as an exorcist, I think I would like to spend more time with him like this.  _ Yeah… I wouldn’t mind dating Shima, _ I decide.  _ After all, I started liking him because he’s a sweet and honest person, someone I can trust. He’s a bit of a coward sometimes, but he reminds me of how I used to be, and I know he can grow stronger.  _

I’m still a little lost in thought when I hear a very familiar voice calling my name. When I focus on the real world again, I can see Rin headed straight toward me, dragging Suguro by the hand behind her. My sister is grinning from ear to ear. 

Rin POV:

The first person I notice at the dance is my twin. “Yukio!”  _ Oh my goodness, he’s so precious dressed up like that. _ I grin. His security uniform, which is basically a suit, paired with his glasses, makes him look so fancy and sophisticated. He blinks and sees us heading toward him. Near him, I see Renzo, also in a security uniform. 

“Rin? And Suguro too?” my twin asks in surprise. I’m practically dragging my boyfriend by the hand behind me. “What is it? I’m working right now…”

“Hey, why aren’t you dancing? Didn’t you get an invite you actually accepted?” I demand, looking pointedly between him and Renzo. 

“Actually, Rin,” Renzo pipes up, “when I asked, he looked like he wanted to say yes, but then he told me he’d be working security. So I asked where I could sign up, so we could unofficially go together.”

I gape at him.  _ This isn’t what I expected, but it’s not as bad it could be. I’m actually kinda happy…  _ “So it’s like a work date or something?” I ask. Then I grin. “Good job, dude!” I hold up my hand for a high-five, and Renzo gladly meets me halfway. “Come by the stall later and I’ll give you guys some free food!”

“Aw, yeah!” Renzo cheers. “Nothing’s better than free food!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Yukio and Ryuuji exchanging a look, as if they are silently asking each other,  _ Why are our dates so energetic? _

“Come on, let’s all go dance!” I urge the three of them, and while Renzo heartily agrees, Yukio and Ryuuji seem a little more reluctant. 

“Rin, we can’t dance with four people…” Yukio protests. 

“We can if we all hold hands and spin in a circle!” I argue, grinning. “Come on!” I grab my brother’s hand and drag him onto the dance floor. 

Renzo and Ryuuji have no choice but to follow, and soon the four of us have formed a sort-of circle and are twirling around, gripping each other’s hands. The ecstasy I begin to feel is reflected on everyone else’s faces, and I think, for the first time in a long while, we’re all truly having fun, even Yukio. He’s laughing and grinning along with the rest of us, and I can’t help but feel like this is all how it ought to be, at least for now. 

The upbeat song we were dancing to changes to a waltz-like one, and Ryuuji and I break off from Yukio and Renzo so we can dance more slowly and less awkwardly. I’m not really good at slow dancing, but Ryuuji guides me through the steps patiently, one of his hands fastened securely to one of mine and his other on my waist. 

After a few minutes, out of the corner of my eye, I notice Yukio nudge Renzo, and the two of them return to their posts as security guards, their break over. 

Suddenly I see Yukio put his hand to the headset he has on. He looks worried. He responds to the person on the other side of the headset, says something to Renzo, and then they head in our direction. Before they even get here, I know, and I’m worried. Something has happened. 

“Find Izumo Kamiki,” Shura orders. Yukio, Shiemi, Ryuuji, Konekomaru, Renzo and I are gathered in front of her and my dad. Two of our classmates, Izumo and Takara, are missing. 

“Eh? What happened to Izumo?” asks Renzo. 

“She… promised to help me out at the store today,” I say worriedly, “but she didn’t come…” I really hope Shura can tell us what exactly is going on. 

“And she was going to go to the dance with me, but I never saw her,” Shiemi admits sadly. 

“Did something happen to her?” I ask. 

“No idea,” Dad answers somewhat curtly. “We’ll explain the details later. But now, I need you guys to find her as quickly as possible. We can’t contact her either. Find Nemu Takara as well.”

“Wouldn’t just the students be insufficient?” Yukio asks. “Should we contact the teachers… Sir Pheles as well…”

“We can’t!” The harshness of Shura’s tone startles me. “Consider this the same as a top secret task from the Vatican HQ. Don’t let Mephisto know of this! All of you search alone, for maximum efficiency. Make sure you can keep in contact while you search. If something happens, contact me straight away! That’s all. Scram! Hurry!”

“Aahhh!” Renzo shouts in distress. “What on earth has happened to Izumo?!”

“Renzo, didn’t you  _ just  _ go on a date with Yukio?” I ask. “At least  _ try _ remain monogamous. If you break my little brother’s heart, I’ll break your fingers one by one.”

“Riiiinnn…” Renzo complains. 

“Yukio, you got a date?!” Dad gapes at my brother, then grins and claps him on the shoulder. “Good for you, son! I have high hopes for you and your boyfriend!”

“Dad, it’s not like that yet,” groans Yukio, burying his head in his hands. 

“Key word being ‘yet’,” I contribute, snickering. 

“That’s enough of that,” scolds Shura. “Geez, like father like daughter. We need to find Kamiki and Takara!”

“First,” suggests Ryuuji calmly, getting back to the task at hand, “we should allocate areas for each of us to search.”

“I can’t stay calm like that! She’s our classmate!” Renzo yells, running away at top speed. “It’s too late if something’s happened to her!”

“Shima! Control yourself!” Ryuuji yells after him. But it’s too late. He’s gone. 

Meanwhile, my brother is explaining to Shiemi how to use a cell phone. “Shiemi, press the incoming… Press this button, and you can contact Ms. Kirigakure. And this one will allow you to call my father.”

“Thanks! I’ll go and ask Nori! I’m pretty sure that they’re in the same dorm room!” She runs off to find Noriko. 

“Then I’ll search in the exorcism classrooms and the school,” Yukio volunteers. “I still have the key from when I was a teacher.”

“I’ll search from the north gate and towards the right,” says Ryuuji. 

“Then I’ll search opposite the priests’ residence,” says Konekomaru. 

“I’ll go back to the store,” I offer, “then search around the arcade.”

“You stay calm as well, Rin!” Yukio warns as we all split up. 

“I know!”

I get back to the store, but Izumo isn’t anywhere to be seen. But before Godaiin can tell me I need to get back to work, I’m already gone again, headed to the arcade. I’m not long into my search before something happens. On top of a nearby building, there is something like an explosion, drawing my attention.  _ What was that just now?! From above…?! _

Suddenly Shura’s voice is in my ear. “Everyone, gather at the outlook square of the train station,” she orders. “However, don’t make a move until Fujimoto and I arrive.”

Already, I’m running in that direction.  _ Izumo…  _ I hope she’s okay.  _ What could have happened to her? What secrets is she hiding? _

As I approach the train station, I get a horrible feeling.  _ What is this strange sensation…? _ I see Yukio, Shiemi, Ryuuji, and Konekomaru waiting, but I just run right past them. I don’t have time to stop.  _ Something is coming…  _ I don’t know how I know. But something really bad is about to happen.

“Rin?!” Yukio calls after me in surprise. After a moment, I hear their footsteps behind me as they try to keep up. 

The first thing I see is the helicopter. Then all the people in uniforms. Then— “Renzo!”  _ He was already here? _ “Izumo?!” He’s got her in his arms, and she’s unconscious. I notice that she’s wearing the uniform I gave her. It looks like she intended to come help at the store after all. But more importantly…  _ Who are all those people? Why is Shima standing next to them like that? And why are they behind a shield wall? _ “Renzo!” I yell. “Who are these people? Are they allies?”

Suddenly, two things happen at once. First, a flash of light blinds us. Then, two figures appear, one on their side, one on ours.  _ What’s Mephisto doing here? And who’s that guy in the mask? He has a tail, so is he a demon? _ But the way Mephisto is standing in front of us…  _ Is he protecting us? That stance… _

“Pleased to meet you, everyone,” the figure greets us politely. “Don’t tell me that this is the big event they’ve been planning for. I am the leader of the Illuminati organization, the King of Light, Lucifer,” he introduces himself.

“Older brother,” Mephisto greets him, politely taking off his hat and bowing low. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.” He giggles. “The mask looks good on you.”

“Samael… As I can see, you’re as lively as ever.” Lucifer coughs.  _ What is it with this guy? _

“But at a time like this, what kind of business do you have in this remote area?”

“Ah,” says Lucifer as if he’d been anticipating this question, “As the first stage, we, the Illuminati,” he holds out his arms in a grand flourish, gesturing to the people around him, “have come to declare war on the True Cross Knights. In one year, from this day onward, we will revive Father, the god of demons, Satan.”  _ No…  _ “And then we will unify the divided Assiah and Gehenna. We will return to the original state where light and darkness were born. By doing so, all will be equal and free from affliction. The world will become truly peaceful.”  _ That’s your idea of peace? _ “We, the Illuminati, do not forgive those who deny this goal. However, we always open the door to those who listen. Samael… this is the last time I’ll be asking you as your brother… Come with me.”

I look up at Mephisto’s face, to see what his reaction will be. He’s baring his teeth in pure disgust. “That’s impossible,” he hisses in distaste. “To be born on top of many corpses, while longing for the heavens, and creeping about in a life of shame… I think peace is surely the disorder where different things exist together.”

“Why is it that we must maintain this state of existence while shouldering such responsibilities and pain?” asks Lucifer. “In this world, there aren’t only beings as powerful as you. There are many weak beings as well.”

“Our values still differ, I see,” says Mephisto, shrugging.

“It seems so,” replies Lucifer. Then he looks straight at me. “You should give it some thought as well.”  _ He knows who I am. Of course he does. He probably knows how to distinguish a half-demon from a human, especially if that half-demon carries the royal blood of Satan like he does. He probably knows how to identify his own little sister. _ As much as I hate to think of myself as Lucifer, Mephisto, and Amaimon’s sister, I have no choice, since, biologically, Satan  _ is _ our father. “Let’s do our best to not go easy on each other,” he tells Mephisto. “That’s right. I’ll be taking this girl. We need her for our plan. Well then, if you’ll excuse me…” He turns and walks away, but doesn’t get far before he collapses. 

“Commander!” a female officer yells, running toward him. Lucifer coughs. “Bring the doctor! And you come as well, Shima.”

“Ah… Okay…”  _ He’s just going to go with them? What is he doing? He has Izumo, he should just bring her back here already! _

“Wait!” I shout. “What do you plan to do with Izumo and Renzo?!” Not even Mephisto is doing anything about it! “Hey, Mephisto! Do you intend to keep quiet and watch?!”

“There’s nothing I can do against the King of Light,” he says. “Although he’s weakened, this person is actually Gehenna’s most influential person. Even you sense it, right?” He’s right. I do sense it. How could I not? All my demonic instincts are screaming at me that this guy is really powerful, even though he’s weakened. I can also sense how dangerous he is. But I have to do  _ something _ . 

“Then…” There’s only one thing I can think of. “I’ll stop it!” Without waiting for permission, I charge forward, pulling Kurikara from its sheath and carrying case simultaneously, and in the same motion, sending an arc of blue flame toward the other side.

“Rin!” Yukio yells, but I ignore him.

Renzo manages to block my attack. “Renzo…” I growl. I can’t believe he’s a traitor.

“Rin,” he says brightly. “I’ll give you one piece of advice.” He blocks the next swing of my sword. “From now on, you’ll need to be prepared to kill humans if you want to win. We, the Illuminati, are gathering people!”

In an instant, there is a tiny explosion of power between us, and we separate.  _ Kill humans? No! I can’t do that! Humans are the ones I want to protect! How could he, a human, do something like this, join people like them? What is he playing at? _

“What kind of joke is that… Shima…” Ryuuji hisses behind me. He sounds like he’s shaking, barely able to contain his rage. “Come back here!” he yells. But Renzo isn’t listening to him. 

“Everyone, thank you for trusting me until now!”  _ How dare he smile so innocently, as though nothing is wrong! _ “But in the end, this is as far as it got. Well then, farewell.” He waves so cheerfully as he walks away, as if he’s going to see us tomorrow at school and all he’s doing is going home.

“What’s with this lame farewell line?!” Ryuuji demands. “You think I’ll accept this?! Shima!” Renzo doesn’t respond. “Renzo!” Ryuuji yells angrily.

“Shima! Get back here!” Yukio yells. 

Renzo reacts to Yukio’s voice only, turning toward him. “Sorry to split after our first date, darling,” he grins, winking. “I truly do like you. But this is the way things are.”

But then the helicopter doors close behind him, and he’s gone. The helicopter lifts off and disappears. “No way…” 

“Well, he said that it’s a declaration of war,” says Mephisto, “so this is not the end. Earlier, the King of Light destroyed the main barrier. The seraphim’s explosions just took down the small barriers. Have a look.”  _ Is this amusing to him? _ He’s smirking, as if it’s all a joke to him.

But to the rest of us, it’s no laughing matter. “Lower class… no, middle class demons are coming too!” gasps Yukio in horror.

“I have the feeling that the other branches around the world are in the same state of chaos. Like them, I must take control of the situation in the Japanese branch,” Mephisto informs us. “Yukio Okumura, middle first class exorcist!”

“Yes!” my twin responds dutifully, but the look in his eyes is full of pain, more than I thought would be possible.  _ It’s because of Renzo. The traitorous jerk abandoned us… abandoned  _ Yukio _ … and he didn’t hardly show a shred of remorse.  _ But somehow I don’t think he was lying about liking Yukio, either. I think he really has feelings for my brother, even if he has to put them on hold again. It doesn’t seem like Renzo’s feelings are one-sided, either, based on the look in Yukio’s eyes. But that look is quickly fading as Yukio is getting back into character as an exorcist. 

“Right now, I order you to lead the esquires gathered here to rescue Izumo Kamiki.”

“Only me and the esquires?!”

“Of course, I’ll send reinforcements as soon as I’m finished here. Also, Nemu Takara will go with you. He’s an exorcist that I hired from a third party, to act as a moderator for you and the cram school students. He has the abilities of an upper first class exorcist, so rest assured. He also knows where you must go.”

“What about Renzo?” I ask. Traitor or not, he’s still our classmate. I won’t leave him with the Illuminati. Besides, he has to answer for hurting my brother. 

“I lack information about Shima,” Mephisto replies. “I can’t explain why he did this. However, at the moment, as unfortunate as it may be, we must accept the fact that he was the illuminati spy…” Hearing him say it puts me over the edge. I reach up and grab his collar, pulling his face down to my eye level and glaring angrily at him.

“Shut up.” I growl. “Shut your mouth, you clown. It hasn’t been decided yet! Izumo, as well as Renzo… we’ll definitely bring them back!”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio and the esquires travel to Shimane to rescue Izumo and Renzo. Shiro doesn’t approve of Rin’s participation in the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here’s the next chapter. I’m going to post a second chapter today, since not much happens in this one. Enjoy!

Rin POV

In the morning, Yukio gets me up early. Groggily, and trying not to wake Kuro, I get out of bed, dress myself, and start packing my things. We’re going to rescue Izumo today.  _ And we’re going to get Renzo back. _ _ He doesn’t belong with the Illuminati. That’s not his true nature, right? Or was he just putting on a facade? _

“ _ Hmm? _ ” murmurs a sleepy voice in my head. Looks like Kuro’s up. “ _ Rin, Yukio, are you going somewhere? _ ” he asks.

“We have an important mission,” I tell him. “We’ll be back in… Actually, we don’t know how long it’ll be.” I was going to say a few days, but I’m really not sure. 

“Eh? Kuro?” Yukio asks, noticing that my familiar is awake. “That’s right,” he tells him. “We don’t know yet. Kuro, are you alright being on your own for a while?”

Kuro’s eyes light up. “ _ No way! I’ll go too! _ ”

Yukio looks at me in confusion and raises an eyebrow, not voicing the obvious question.  _ What did he say? _ “He’s coming with us,” I translate. “That’s okay, right?”

Yukio groans in exasperation. “Whatever,” he mutters irately. “Let’s just get this mission over with quickly. Hurry up and pack your stuff, Rin.” He turns back to his own bag and pile of clothes.

Based on his rigid posture, he’s frustrated, but I’m pretty sure it’s not about Kuro coming with us. I sigh.  _ He’s still thinking about Renzo. _ “Listen, Yukio,” I begin solemnly. “I want to ask you something. Are you… okay? I mean, really? With Renzo being a traitor and all, I know it must be hard for you to accept. If it were you or Ryuuji, I know how I’d feel.” He doesn’t look at me, or say anything for several seconds. Then I notice his shoulders are shaking. Slowly, carefully, I approach my brother and take a good look at his expression. Silent tears are streaming down his face, which is twisted up in pain and anger. “Yukio!” I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him tightly, resting my head on his chest.  _ It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him cry. _ He returns my embrace, the side of his head resting on the top of mine. “I’m so sorry, Yukio,” I whisper.

“I… I thought he liked me,” Yukio sobs, clinging to me. “I thought I… liked him too. There was a voice in my head that told me I wouldn’t mind dating him… and when we went to work security at the dance, I thought I could be happy with him… But he’s a traitor! He betrayed everyone, and no one even suspected him! Why, Rin? Why would he do this to m— to us?”

“I don’t know, little brother,” I admit. I don’t miss the fact that Yukio almost said ‘me’ instead of ‘us’. He’s clearly taking this personally. “But we’re going to bring him back. He  _ and _ Izumo will return to us. And the next time I see Renzo, I’ll break his fingers. I promised him I’d do that if he ever broke your heart.”

Yukio’s chest shakes harder, but he’s not sobbing anymore. He’s laughing. “And you call  _ me _ the protective one,” he chuckles. “But you’ve always been there to defend me, big sister. I doubt anyone will love me more than you do, and I think that’s more than enough for me.”

Unable to help myself, I start laughing too.  _ This is exactly as it ought to be between siblings,  _ I think.  _ Protecting each other, no matter how much we might disagree on some things or how different our personalities are. _

“I can’t be of any help, but everyone… please be careful,” Noriko warns. She’s at the train station, seeing us off. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll all come back safe and sound, and Izumo will be with us,” I promise, as the six of us begin to make our way to the platform where we will board our train. Yukio, Shiemi, Konekomaru, Ryuuji, Takara, and I are about to set out to get Izumo and Renzo back. It was so sudden that Yukio and I didn’t even have time to tell Dad where we were going. He’ll find out soon enough from Mephisto, probably. 

“Shiemi! Rin!” she calls after us one last time. Shiemi and I go over to see what she wants. She hands me a slip of paper. “This is my phone number,” she tells us. “If there’s anything you need, call me.”

“Thank you,” says Shiemi. “We’ll see each other when we come back.”

Nori leans in between us with one last hug goodbye and whispers, “I’m leaving Izumo to you. Please take care of her.” Then she tells us one more thing before she pulls away, smiling.

“Don’t worry. We’ll save her for sure,” I promise.

“Rin! Shiemi!” Yukio calls. “The train is coming! Hurry!”

“Ah! Okay!”

“Coming!”

“What’s our destination?” Yukio asks Takara when we’re on the train. 

“Shimane prefecture, near Inari shrine,” replies the puppet on Takara’s hand. 

“I see… We’re heading towards Haneda Airport. From there, we’ll go by plane.”

“A plane?!”  _ This is news to me. _ “I’ve never been in one!”

“Me neither…” admits Shiemi a little nervously. 

“I can finally fly, but… I… I’m scared,” I confess. “Can’t we go with a key?” I ask Yukio. 

“I’ve never heard of a key that allows this many people through,” he admits. 

“Do you know why it’s Shimane prefecture?” Konekomaru asks Takara. 

“I let Izumo have a plush fox doll that I summoned,” Takara replies. “And I can locate the position of things that I summon. You can see it as a transmitter.”

“By the way, Shimane prefecture is Kamiki and Paku’s hometown,” says Yukio. 

“Is that so?”  _ Huh. I never knew that. _

“That means her hometown and the place where she’s captive are the same,” reasons Shiemi. “What kind of connection could there be?” No one answers. 

“Attention everyone,” announces the voice through the speaker. “We will take off shortly. Please make sure your seatbelt is fastened one more time.”

We’re on the plane now, about to take off, and I’m a bundle of all kinds of nerves. For one thing, I had a little trouble getting through security, because of course they were able to recognize a sword when they saw one. But I couldn’t just explain that I had to have it on me at all times because it’s my demon heart and it would be bad if anything ever happened to it, and I nearly panicked, but then Yukio finally convinced me to check it in so it would be in the bottom of the plane the whole way. I am not comfortable being separated from my heart. But on the plus side, I had no trouble getting through with Kuro. Apparently, they saw him as a regular cat, and had allowed him through so long as he stayed in my bag or on my lap (where he is right now). But security isn’t my only issue. Up until now, I’d lived with my feet firmly and safely on the ground. So the idea of an enormous metal machine transporting me very fast and very far up in the sky to a place very far away is rather terrifying for me.

So the moment we’re no longer on the ground, I panic for a minute. I grab my twin’s arm. “Scary! We’re flying! Yukio, we’re flying!”

“Rin, calm down,” he chides tiredly. “And you call yourself the older twin…”

“ _ Everyone _ calls me the older twin, Yuki,” I counter, sticking my tongue out at him. 

“I made sandwiches for everyone,” Shiemi announces to our group politely, changing the subject and stopping my and Yukio’s fight before it has even started. “Do you want them?”  _ She’s so calm. _ As the food she made is passed around, I manage to relax a little. Even Kuro has fallen asleep in my lap.  _ It’ll be fine, right? It’s just a short plane ride. Then I can get Kurikara back, and we’ll be on solid ground again…  _ Only then will I regain my peace of mind, when I know my heart is safe again. 

“Let’s talk about the current situation,” suggests Yukio as he takes his sandwich and passes mine and Takara’s over to me. I reach across the aisle to hand Takara his food. “Last night, the True Cross Knight’s headquarters and all of the branch offices received a self-destruct attack for the Illuminati’s seraphim.”

“Since last night, we haven’t been able to contact people from Myou Dha,” Konekomaru says. “However…”

“That’s probably because the Kyoto branch is also under the confusion of the attack,” Yukio reasons. “The amount of damage is still unknown, but we have information that the Grigori also sustained serious injuries. With the repairs of the broken barriers and the extermination of the demons, the Japanese branch will be chased by the mass media for answers.”

“We can see it on the web news. ‘The unknown cause of the explosion: could it be a terrorist attack?!’”

“Well, in a way, they’re not wrong.”

“‘The Illuminati,’ they say… What exactly are they? I know about that name, but I’ve never really thought that the organization actually existed.”

“The Illuminati is the famed secret society that was established two hundred years ago. But, in the present day, it has been confirmed, without hesitation, that this organization collapsed. Although, there can be any number of organizations who call themselves the Illuminati. Knights are keeping watch on demonic organizations and other societies around the world. However, in the last decade, we hear the name ‘Illuminati’ in both small and large incidents linked to demons. To think there was a terrorist group this huge… Even the Knights are under investigation. This is all the information I have.”

“Terrorist group… Shima… He went to that kind of thing. What kind of leader… I didn’t understand anything about Shima,” Konekomaru pouts miserably. 

“Konekomaru…” I’m worried about him. He’s getting really worked up about this. Not that I blame him. They grew up together. 

“And I was the one who was looking the most. I’m ashamed of myself. When I watched Shima’s smiling face while he was going away, that’s what I thought. But… I… Since we were kids, I’ve been watching. I trust Shima. I trust my own eyes. With this little self-esteem, I’m still aiming to become a leader…”

“That’s… that’s right,” says Shiemi. “I think what you just said is on the mark, Konekomaru!”

“Moriyama… Thank you…”

To change the subject, I suggest, “We should try these sandwiches that Shiemi made for us!” Everyone starts unwrapping theirs, and I offer some of mine to Kuro. He turns his nose up at it. “Hmm? Kuro, you don’t want some?”

“ _ No! I don’t like the way it smells! _ ” he protests fussily. 

_ Alright then. I can’t say I like the smell of it either, but Shiemi went through a lot of trouble to make these for us, so I should at least try it.  _

“Hmm, I don’t think the taste will be very good,” says Shiemi before we dig in, “but it is good for your health, so please eat!”

“Don’t be so harsh on yourself,” says Konekomaru politely. 

“Thanks for the meal!” we chorus. I take my first bite. Which turns out to be my last. Because I begin choking. Based on sound, others are having similar reactions.  _ This taste… well, it’s not like Shiemi didn’t warn us.  _ But this stuff is  _ horrible. _ Truly.

“It tastes… good…” Yukio gags with a lot of difficulty. 

“It just tastes like grass!”  _ I really need to teach Shiemi how to cook!  _ “Shiemi, no offense, but please leave all the cooking to me next time…”

“But Suguro is eating it just fine?!”

“His taste buds are probably dead or something.” The guy isn’t even fazed. 

“I… I’m sorry…” Shiemi apologizes. 

Before anything else can be said about the sandwiches, Yukio’s phone rings. He pulls it from his pocket, checks the caller ID, and his face goes ashen. “Rin… It’s Dad…”

I can feel the blood draining from my face too. “Oh no… We forgot to tell him…”

My brother shoves his phone into my hand. “ _ You _ answer it,” he begs. “I’m not brave enough…”

I shake my head. “Coward. How are we related?” But I press the answer button and hold the phone up to my ear. “Hello?”

“Rin!” Dad’s voice shouts in my ear. Wincing in pain, I hold the phone a few centimeters from my head. “Where are you right now?!”  _ He’s really angry.  _

“Oh, hey, Dad!” I answer as innocently as possible. “Don’t worry, I’m just on a plane to Shimane so Yukio, the rest of the esquires, and I can rescue our classmates.”

Several silent seconds pass. “Put your brother on,” he orders quietly, but his voice is shaking in anger. 

“Yes, sir.” I hold the phone out to Yukio. “You’d better talk to him. But be careful. He’s not exactly happy right now,” I warn. 

Yukio stiffens up, but takes the phone from me and holds it up to his ear. “Hello, Father,” he greets him formally. 

With my sharp hearing, I listen to Dad’s quiet end of the conversation. “Is what Rin said true?” Dad demands. “You kids are on a plane to Shimane?”

“Yes, Father,” confirms Yukio, not trying to hide our actions. “The esquires and I are on a mission assigned to us by Mephisto in order to bring Izumo Kamiki and Renzo Shima back to True Cross Academy. As an exorcist, I have been placed in charge of them as their captain to see the mission through to the end.”

I can hear Dad growling under his breath. “You and everyone else I can understand. But not Rin!”  _ Not me? Why?  _ “This is too big a mission! I don’t doubt her capabilities, but you know how reckless she can be when fighting!”

“Father, I can assure you, we are all quite capable despite our age, and as a full-fledged exorcist, I will ensure everyone’s safety, especially Rin’s, and—.”

“Listen, Dad,” I interrupt, snatching the phone from my brother. 

“Hey!” Yukio protests, but I ignore him. 

“We’re going to be just fine,” I promise. “I’m not as reckless as I once was. You know this. I’ve been training with Shura for several weeks now and I have a firm grasp on my power, as well as a few strong techniques. I don’t take on damage intentionally to gain the upper hand anymore just because I know I’m going to heal. I actually use my head in battle now. Okay?”

Dad is silent for several seconds. Finally, he answers. “I don’t want to hear that you have been injured. Do you understand, Rin? If I hear a word about your reckless fighting, that you’ve been using your body as a shield again, I’m forbidding Mephisto from sending you on any future missions. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” I tell him earnestly. “I won’t let Yukio or my other friends get hurt either. We’ll see you when we get back.”

“Good luck, sweetie.” Then Dad hangs up. 

I hand the phone back to Yukio. “What did he say?” he asks. 

“I’m not allowed to get injured. I won’t be allowed to go on any missions in the future if I do,” I tell him. 

He looks at me questioningly. “But wouldn’t you just regenerate if you did? Dad wouldn’t have to find out.”

“But wouldn’t it be in the mission report if I did?” I ask, mocking his tone. “Dad would definitely find out.”

Yukio’s cheeks turn a little pink. He’s probably embarrassed that I thought of something he didn’t. “Okay, fair enough.”

“Wah! It’s beautiful. It’s like a sea of rice plants,” comments Shiemi in awe. 

“It’s so vast!” I exclaim, taking in as much of the gorgeous scenery as I can. When we arrived at the airport, a man walking by suggested that we walk the rest of the way, since a taxi would be expensive. He gave us directions, sent us on our way, and I’m kinda glad he did. This place is amazing. 

“Did we really choose to walk…?” Yukio groans.  _ How could he be complaining? The scenery is beautiful, the air is crisp, and this walk is relaxing. _ He does seem pretty tired, though.  _ Such a wimp. Is he really my brother? _ “Can you wait for a while?” Yukio asks the rest of us. “I will go and ask for directions.”

“All right,” I acknowledge. As Yukio leaves, I get a good look at Ryuuji for the first time since we left. He’s unresponsive, quiet, and distracted. I don’t need to guess why.  _ Losing Renzo to the Illuminati dealt a hard blow to all of us. Finding out that he’s a traitor was a tough pill to swallow, especially given his personality. Or was that just a mask he put on when others were around? How much of him was real? _ This seems especially hard on Ryuuji, though. I realize they grew up together, but now is not the time for him to be depressed about it. If we are going to get both Izumo and Renzo back, he needs to stop moping and help. I try a soft approach first, walking over and putting my hand gently on his shoulder. “Ryu?” I ask. “Are you going to be okay?” He shows no indication that he heard me.  _ Of course.  _ I scowl. Time for Plan B: tough love. “Ryuuji!” I swing my leg around and kick the back of his knees, also pushing his shoulder backwards at the same time so he falls flat on his back. “Pick yourself up!” I order, letting the frustration and annoyance seep into my voice. “You won’t save anyone the way you are now, you know?!”

He lies there, stunned, but he’s no longer in his trance. After a moment, he gets up, seething and towering over me. But I’m not scared of him. “Bon!” Konekomaru cries out in concern. 

“Rin!” Shiemi gasps in surprise. 

“Shut up…” Ryuuji growls angrily. “I’m not like you!”

“You know,” I tell him calmly, “you always get mad right away.”

“To me, that guy was like family…” He’s visibly trembling.  _ Wow, he is really angry. _ “If the time comes when I have to kill him… I’ll die too!”

I manage to make it through a full second without laughing. But then I can’t hold it in anymore. “Pfft! Ha! Ha ha ha!” I laugh. I can’t help it. I know that basically Renzo is to him what Yukio is to me, but that’s the funniest thing I think I’ve ever heard him say. He’s so intense about it.  _ How can he say something so ridiculous with such a straight face? _

“Wha… I’m serious!” he protests. 

_ Oh, I know he is. _ I stop laughing and just give him a small smile. “As expected of you, Ryu.” The confusion on his face is adorable. “When it was me, it was like that too.” I remember when my true identity was revealed. And then we all went to Kyoto, and not one person wanted to be around me. “Back then, I thought that everyone hated me. It was painful. However, now that I think about it, in the end, no one gave up on me. I’m thankful that people got mad. Renzo was probably thankful as well. We need these kinds of guys. That’s why we need you.”

“I…” He clenches his fist, looking down so I can’t see his eyes. “You as well… Really…”

“Huh? Are you crying, Ryuuji?”

“As if!” he yells, instinctively throwing a punch at me. I reflexively catch his fist in my hand. “That jerk Shima, I’ll tear him to pieces!”

“Oh! Ryu, you finally came back!”  _ This is great! He’s himself again! _ “But I’m not so sure that Renzo will be thankful.”

“I don’t care!”

“Rin!” It appears my brother has returned. 

“Oh, hey, Yukio! Did you get some directions?”

“Suguro,” Yukio growls, shaking angrily. “Mind telling me why you’re attacking Rin?!”

“Huh?” Then Ryuuji seems to notice for the first time that his hand is still curled into a fist that he threw at me and trapped in the hand I caught it with. He lets out a terrified squeak of surprise and pulls his hand back quickly. “I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me!”

“It’s fine,” I reassure him. “You weren’t willfully attacking me, you were venting your frustrations about Renzo, and I just happened to be in front of you. So, Yukio?” I ask my brother. “Did you figure out where we need to go?”

Yukio looks like he has a lot to say about what he just witnessed between me and Ryuuji, but just tells us that he now knows the way to our destination. 


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The esquires arrive at Inari Shrine, investigate different aspects of the area, and learn about Izumo’s past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the second chapter I’m posting today. Enjoy!

Rin POV

“We arrived at our destination just now…” Yukio tells Mephisto through the phone. “And… well, how should I put this… It’s a complete tourist destination.” 

“Welcome to Inari Shrine!” a cheerful woman in a costume greets everyone who passes by. “The home of the deity, Inari! On your way to visit the shrine, don’t hesitate to stop by the foxes’ alley!” 

Literally everywhere we look, people are trying to sell Inari merchandise, entertain onlookers, and convince pedestrians of how fun this place is. And the  _ noise.  _ My hearing is getting much more sensitive, and there are just so many people talking and laughing and shouting that it’s tough to not run away with my tail between my legs to somewhere quiet and cover my ears.  _ I’ll get used to it, I’m sure,  _ I try to convince myself. 

Yukio finishes his conversation with Mephisto and hangs up. “Sir Pheles’ orders are to investigate the area completely,” he tells us, “and… Huh?! Where’s Takara?!” He looks around for our classmate frantically. 

“Once again, he disappeared without us noticing,” grumbles Ryuuji. 

“It can’t be helped… We’ll ask around on our own,” groans Yukio helplessly. 

“Seriously,” someone a few meters away from us is exclaiming. “I feel much better since I’ve paid a visit to the shrine!” I look in the direction of the voice, and it turns out to be an aging man talking to his wife. 

“Ah, you too, darling? Since I’ve been here, I’ve only been having fun! I want this to go on forever!” the wife says cheerfully. 

“Ah, excuse me,” Yukio interrupts them politely. “Is this place really that fun? It’s our first time here, so…”

“Ah! So it’s your first time?” the woman asks excitedly, stepping right up and getting in my brother’s face. “Here! You can go and give your respect to Toyouke-Omi Kami and the other gods of food and harvest. It would be good if you and your friends could pay a visit to the shrine too! Your life will become prosperous.”

“But before that, you have to go to the Foxes’ Alley,” suggests the man, just as excitedly and getting just as close to Yukio as the woman did. “The food here is made with ingredients from Shimane, and it’s very delicious! Especially the Inari soba. You absolutely have to try it. I recommend it!”

“O… okay,” says Yukio, smiling in understanding. But I can tell he’s uncomfortable to have strangers so close to him like this. 

“Earlier, it was peaceful… But here, it’s very crowded.”

“The shops almost only sell food.”

“It seems that this alley leads to the Inari shrine. I got a pamphlet.”

The five of us (minus Takara, of course) are standing in the middle of the Foxes’ Alley, surrounded by thousands of people and hundreds of food stalls and voices everywhere trying to sell us stuff. 

“Inari Shrine’s specialty! Inari soba! Try it, it’s good!” one woman calls out from her stall. 

“Would you like some Inari goshoku?” offers another woman. 

“Inari zenzai!”

“Agonoyaki!”

The voices coming at us from every angle are annoying, but as the scents of all these things and more fill my sensitive nostrils, my mouth starts to water. They just smell so good… One scent in particular turns my head. “Uoooh!” I moan. “It smells like dashi! It looks  _ so _ good… Let’s have something to eat. We’ve only had Shiemi’s grass sandwiches since this morning. I’m hungry… and I want something edible…”

“You have a point,” my twin agrees. “We’ll take a break from the investigation to eat.”

“For real?!”

We finish the food we bought from various stalls, and I think it’s safe to say we’re all thoroughly starstruck. 

I’m the first to say it, though. “That was so good!”  _ It really was! Even  _ my _ cooking couldn’t compare to this! _ I can tell that Kuro agrees with me. He isn’t saying anything, but he has a shocked look on his face and I can practically feel that he’s brimming with satisfaction. 

“It was definitely good,” Ryuuji admits shamelessly. “I have the feeling that I could get addicted.”

There’s only one thing I want to do now. “All right! I’ll go and do an investigation on the food!” I yell as I run off with Kuro.  _ I have to try more. I want to try as much of this stuff as I can. As research, of course. To see if I can learn and duplicate any of the recipes. _

“Rin!” Ryu yells after me. 

“I’ll go and look at the shrine,” I hear Yukio decide. 

“Should we come with you, Yukio?” Konekomaru asks. 

“No. Take care of my sister.”

And so nearly everyone else comes with me. I have to slow down so everyone can catch up, but I think, in the end, I get plenty of ‘investigating’ done. 

We meet up later on a balcony at the top of the shrine. “No matter how many times we ask the tourists, I have the impression that they’re all repeating the same thing,” Ryuuji is saying as I munch on something I bought from one of the many food stalls.

“They seem to all talk about the shrine and food,” says Shiemi.

“As expected, the crowd at the shrine was acting normal,” Yukio tells us. “There’s a building called ‘You Me Town Inari.’ Although, I’ve heard stories about apartment buildings.”

“I’ve heard about it too,” says Konekomaru. “It’s that building next to the shrine, isn’t it?” he asks, pointing. It’s huge, at least ten times the size of the shrine itself. 

“What  _ is _ that thing?!”

“A lot of people seemed to want to move in there.”

“They’ll go this far just to live near Inari?! Who would do that?” Ryuuji demands, looking through a pair of binoculars. 

“By the way,” says Konekomaru, “the publisher of the tourist map I got earlier at the information desk is ‘Inari’s Bright Future Organization’! Doesn’t the name ‘Bright Future’ tell you something?”

Comprehension flickers in my brother’s eyes. “Don’t tell me…”

“What I don’t understand… we should probably ask someone from this area,” a voice interrupts him. 

It’s our missing classmate. “Takara!” Yukio gasps in surprise. “Where were you all this time?”

“I found a considerably nice puppet,” Takara replies. It’s a fox puppet, on his left hand, similar in appearance to Izumo’s familiars. “This guy cost 1.2 million yen. For a knight, this is a reasonable expense.”

“What did you say?!” Yukio shouts in disbelief, his eyes bugging out. I’m surprised too. 1.2 million yen is a  _ lot _ of money. 

“I ask the grace of Inari, the god of harvest, to fulfill my prayers,” says Takara through the puppet on his right hand, the one he’s always had. “One who has a relation with Izumo Kamiki and this land, come forth.”

“He’s invoking it through the puppet,” realizes Yukio, amazed. “So he has the abilities of a second class tamer!”

A moment later, the puppet awakens, coming to life and speaking. “Undoubtedly, I am the messenger of the goddess, Ukanomitama. I am Mike, the fox god, eighth in rank,” he introduces himself. 

“You jerk,” scoffs the other puppet. “You’re Izumo Kamiki’s familiar, right? Tell us everything about this land and Izumo Kamiki!”  _ Izumo’s familiar… Come to think of it, there are two of them. I think the other one’s name is Uke or something.  _

“You said I was the servant familiar of that inexperienced little girl?!” Mike demands, offended. “There is a limit to how many insults I can take! And most importantly, what relation do  _ you _ hold?”

“We’re Izumo’s friends,” Shiemi tells him gently. 

“Our enemy is somewhere in this land,” says Takara. “What is Izumo Kamiki’s relation to this land? Will you tell us, or will you not tell us? If you don’t want to cooperate, we will look elsewhere.”

Mike huffs in frustration. “Very well,” he finally agrees. “I will tell you about this girl and this land.” And so begins the story of Izumo Kamiki. “This story goes back some time. The events started five years ago. Until that time, this Inari was a pure land! The eleven-year-old daughter of the Kamiki family, Izumo, and this land… I’ll tell you the story of what happened to them. The land of Inari, with huge harvests and prosperous businesses, is governed by the main deity, Toyouke-Omikami. Since ancient times, we’ve been guarding this Inari and its surroundings. A ritual was held where the messenger of Uga-no-Mitama-no-Kami married into the Inami family. The Kamiki family is the branch family that was created. In other words, it is a family that obtained divine powers by interbreeding with a fox god, the same as your princess cloaked in divine flames.” Mike gestures toward me.  _ The same… as me? _ “You could say that they are related to demons by blood.”  _ If that’s the case, then…  _ “But even if I tell you this, now, the branch family’s blood has become so thin that there is no difference from an average person. But, because the Kamiki family served us diligently, even now, their blood is strong enough for us to lend them our divine power. The Kamiki family lived in a small, quiet shrine, where Izumo Kamiki was born. Her mother, the Kamiki family’s 64th generation chief priest, was Tamamo Kamiki, and an unreliable and undisciplined woman. The chief priests held strong divine powers. The Kamiki family had the duty of appeasing the spirit, the life-taking stone, a spirit stone which kills any living thing who approaches, and revives any dead thing. Once, the life-taking stone was destroyed by one of the mediums. It took the shape of a white-faced, golden-haired, nine-tailed fox. In order to quell the curse of the nine tails, the Kamiki family was severed from the Inami family to establish the lineage of mediums. In each generation, the miko becoming the chief priest is called ‘Tamamo.’ She has to perform a dance called ‘Kamioroshi.’ She needs to assimilate and then appease the nine tails. The power of this current Tamamo was stronger than any miko before her. Her dance was beautiful. Tamamo was the kind of person that we should hate but couldn’t bring ourselves to hate. She was a strange woman. Izumo and her little sister, Tsukumo, were treated as the head of the family and current chief priest, Souji Inami’s beloved children. But that was a complicated situation to grow up in. On top of that, they were also treated as the children of the Kamiki family, who have to deal with the life-taking stone. There were a lot of people with contemptuous or unenthusiastic expressions. When they were outside of the shrine, away from each other, Izumo couldn’t take her mind off Tsukumo. Because others were laughing at the ones who are different from themselves, Izumo was always isolated. One day, the Illuminati approached Izumo, asking about the life-taking stone, on which they wanted to conduct research. Izumo was skeptical and went home, though not before the woman talking to her gave her a card with her name and number on it, telling her to call if anything happened. Izumo disregarded the Illuminati, but just like that, they came closer to their goal of stealing this land. Tamamo went out later that evening on a date. The man she was with told her about Inari’s plan for tourist urbanization, and she made the mistake of telling him that he should meet her children. He didn’t want to meet them, though, and told her he no longer wanted to see her. From that time, I believe that Tamamo became more and more unusual. She went back to work, and though we warned her that the nine tails would take advantage of her weak-hearted state, she insisted she was fine. But soon after, Tamamo started to avoid her work. Every day, she’d spend her time at the chief priest, Inami’s place. She blamed her daughters for everything. It was this way until, one day, she completely stopped coming back home. When people noticed, it was too late. Tamamo was possessed, and attacked her own children. Izumo took Tsukumo and ran. Tamamo was caught by the Illuminati. The life-taking stone had lost its power. Because Tamamo had it, the nine tails was resurrected again, and the resurrection of the nine tails seemed to be convenient for them. The Illuminati promised to protect Izumo and Tsukumo, but they did not keep their promise. In order to get their hands on the nine tails’ power, they inflicted Tamamo with pain and suffering worse than death. Their cruelty was far beyond imagination. Izumo and Tsukumo were kept as Tamamo’s substitutes in case she’d become unusable. This is all I know.”

There is a long moment of silence when Mike finishes speaking.  _ Poor Izumo, to have had to endure that… _

“In summary…” says Yukio slowly, “Kamiki was abducted by the Illuminati to replace her mother…?”

“The truth is somehow… too hard to believe…!” Ryuuji says in shock. 

“We have to hurry!” says Shiemi urgently. I couldn’t agree more. 

“The Illuminati laboratory that you talked about earlier… Do you know its location?” Yukio asks Mike. 

“They are occupying the undergrounds of this land,” Mike answers. 

“Underground?! Then where is the entrance?” 

“I don’t know, but there is a suspicious place. I will guide you there.”

“Then let’s go already,” I suggest impatiently. “The longer we wait, the worse it’ll get. We need to save both Izumo and Renzo and bring them back. So let’s go and search for the entrance of this underground laboratory!”

“Yeah!” everyone else agrees. 

“Look,” says Mike as he leads us down the steps from the balcony. “Near the main shrine, that towering building.”

We all look in that direction. My head jerks forward a little from the impact of Kuro landing on it. “You mean Inari Dream Town, right?” Yukio asks. 

“This is where these guys come and go,” explains Mike. “Also, inside this building is where these foolish alley people gather.”

“What do you mean?” Yukio asks, confused. 

“Watch these people closely,” Mike instructs him. “There’s no anger, no sadness, no fear, no jealousy, no hatred, and no suffering. They’re as innocent as children. All they do is eat insatiably. If you eat even one bite of the products of this land, you’ll become like these people. Be careful. This alley is these guys’ territory. If you eat it once, you’ll get addicted.”

Suddenly, I feel all eyes on me. I’ve been continuing the consumption of the spoils of my pilgrimage to discover what local food there is, but once I feel everyone staring, I stop mid-bite. “Hmm?”

The silent stares last only a second longer. Then Ryuuji grabs my shoulders and starts shaking me. “Throw up!” he yells desperately. 

Meanwhile, Shiemi snatches my bag from my hands. “Rin, you can’t eat anymore!”

“Hey! What are you doing?!” I shout. “We shouldn’t waste food!”

“It’s not only Rin…” says Konekomaru shakily. “We all ate it, didn’t we? All that soba…”

“The effects can be removed by some types of demon-repelling herbs,” supplies Mike helpfully. 

“Demon-repelling?” Yukio ponders skeptically. “I don’t know any…”

“Hmm? Herbs?” Konekomaru interrupts him. “Could it be…”

We’re all thinking it.  _ Shiemi’s grass sandwiches.  _ That means I’m okay, but no wonder Kuro didn’t want any of mine. We’re all okay.  _ Thank goodness. _ Ryuuji stops shaking me and hugs me in relief instead. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Yukio glaring at him, but he says nothing. 

“It’s over for the people addicted to the food of this land,” says Mike. “They all get onto this bus and go into this building. And they never return.” He points out the bus we’re walking past. It’s early evening now, and he has been leading us through the town to the entrance of the Illuminati’s secret laboratory. 

“So you mean that the Illuminati brainwashed all of these citizens to gather at Inari Dream Town and never leave…?” Yukio asks in disgust. “For what purpose?!”

“You’re right,” Mike admits. “But I, too, do not know their goal. But I can tell you one thing. This land is nothing more than a pretty facade. Deep down, it is rotten and infested with maggots.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio and the esquires reach the Illuminati lab, encounter zombies, and meet a demonic man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I can’t believe it’s the 36th chapter already. It’s only due to all the kudos and wonderful comments that I stay motivated to keep posting this, so I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been so supportive! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Rin POV

“Come on, guys!” I yell over my shoulder impatiently. “You’re slowing us all down! We’ll never get there if you’re going to be so sluggish about it!”

“Don’t compare us normal humans to you!” Ryuuji shouts back. 

We’ve all donned our school/exorcist uniforms and started running toward where Mike thinks the lab entrance is. It’s after the last bus has departed for the evening, so we’re alone on the road. 

Getting back to the issue at hand, I realize that humans don’t usually have my level of stamina, but come  _ on _ ! We haven’t been running  _ that _ long, have we? Although, I suppose most of us  _ are _ loaded up with weapons. I have Kurikara at my left hip, Ryuuji has a bazooka (which he has been practicing with as part of his dragoon training) strapped to his back, Konekomaru has various small weapons hidden in his clothes, and Yukio has his pistols. Meanwhile, Shiemi is armed only with her spare summoning papers, Nii already on her shoulder, while Takara has those two puppets on his hands. I’m still not sure now he can keep up with everyone like that, but he is, and that’s good enough for me. 

Finally, we reach our destination. We have some trees and underbrush to hike through before we get to a good hiding place where we have a clear view of the entrance of the building. Unfortunately, it’s not unguarded. 

“Those are the Illuminati’s uniforms,” Yukio whispers. “There’s no mistake about it.”

“There are guards everywhere,” I whisper back. “What should we do?”

“It seems like an entrance,” observes Mike. “Besides this, the only way in is the heliport at the top of the building.”

Yukio dials a number and holds his phone up to his ear. “Sir Pheles,” he whispers when he picks up, “we have found what looks to be the entrance of the building leading to the Illuminati’s underground laboratory. I’ve emailed the details of the location to you.”

“Well done,” I hear from the other end. “How is the support going? We’re still busy here. I’m terribly sorry, but with the situation here, I can’t guarantee when I’ll be able to send you backup.”

“There is a possibility that Kamiki was abducted by the Illuminati to serve as experiment material. This is also an emergency situation,” Yukio explains quietly. 

“You can either wait for the backup, or infiltrate it by yourselves. It’s your decision. And, Captain Okumura, I believe you’ll make the right decision. You’re the only one who possesses meister qualifications, but even if it becomes a battle, there should be no problem with your manpower, right? If you fail, that only shows the incompetence of the captain. I will definitely send support. Until then, Captain. I pray for your success.” There’s a tiny  _ click _ , and the line is disconnected. There’s an incredulous expression on his face. 

“Are you okay?” I ask my twin. 

But Yukio doesn’t have time to answer me. “Izumo is in danger!” Mike whispers urgently. 

“Eh?!”

“I was called,” Mike explains ruefully. “I can’t help you anymore. Hurry!” Then he’s gone. 

“Mike?” Shiemi whispers anxiously. “What happened?”

“Calm down,” scoffs Takara. “He only left the puppet. Looks like he was summoned by Izumo Kamiki.”

“Summoned, you say…” says Ryuuji thoughtfully. 

“That means Izumo is in a situation where she has to fight, right?” Shiemi asks rather worriedly. 

My brother is silent for a few seconds. “Everyone,” he finally says, “I’m confident that the support will come. Let’s break through the main entrance. Is everyone ready?”

“ _ I’m always ready! _ ” Kuro pipes up enthusiastically. Of course, though, I’m the only one who hears him. 

Kuro and I are sent out first, drawing the guards’ attention. I stop in the center of the walkway. Everyone else follows a few seconds later, standing in a line behind me. Yukio and Ryuuji are directly to my left and right sides, respectively. 

“Hey, you kids!” one of the guards shouts. “What are you doing?! Do you have proof of residence at Dream Town?”

“This is not a place for students to idle around!” another one yells. “Go back home!”

“I may not be your teacher anymore, but I’m still your captain, so follow my commands,” mutters Yukio quietly to the rest of us. “Especially you, Rin. Our opponents are only human, so go easy on them.”

“I know that, Captain Moleface!” I pull Kurikara free and burst into flames. Behind me, Kuro grows to his larger size. “Take this!” I yell at the guards. “Satan Slash!” I swing Kurikara and an arc of blue fire flies toward the guards, hitting them in their chests and getting them off balance. Kuro leaps over my head at them. He knocks them to the ground beneath his front paws. Yukio and Ryuuji help us make short work of the rest of the guards. “Easy victory!” I cheer proudly once they’re all in a pile behind us. 

“Anyway, what was that?” Ryuuji asks. “Satan Slash!” He bursts out laughing.

“Shut up! All this time, Shura has been using names for her techniques! She told me that I should do the same when I use my flames to picture it more easily in my mind! Shura told me!” I insist, getting defensive. 

“Well, it certainly is easy for you to remember,” comments Ryuuji as we walk inside the building with everyone else. 

“Huh? Are you making fun of me?”

“Oh, stop worrying,” he chuckles lightly. “I’m just teasing you a little bit.” I shake my head and roll my eyes, but I can’t help but let a small smile tug on the corners of my lips. 

The mood sobers up significantly when we see what’s inside the building. “A shopping mall?” Yukio wonders, curious. We’re in a room several stories high with stores everywhere, from floor to distant ceiling. 

“Do the people who got onto that bus earlier really live here?” Ryuuji wonders. “For an enemy base, there’s not even a soul…”

“No, there  _ is _ ,” I interrupt. I can feel it. “There’s something here.  _ Don’t _ lower your guard.”

“Do you feel something?” Shiemi asks me. 

“I have the shivers.” It’s the best way to describe the feeling. “I just… I  _ know _ there’s something in this building.”

“It might be all fake too,” says Konekomaru. I agree. This place might be exactly like the rest of the land of Inari, just a well-presented facade with a rotten interior. 

“Everyone, listen,” says Yukio. “We’re in enemy territory. They will surely appear sooner or later. Preferably, we should try not to get separated. So, let’s look for the underground entrance.”

After a few minutes of searching, a bit of movement catches my eye. I see a figure several meters away. “There’s someone!” I point out the figure to Yukio and Shiemi, the only people near me. 

But it heard me too. Slowly, the figure turns and faces the three of us.  _ That’s not a regular human.  _ From what I can tell, it’s female, bald, and wearing nothing but a short hospital gown. It’s covered in both caked-on and fresh blood all over its body. And despite the fact that it’s moving, the smell and sight of rotting flesh tells me it’s not alive. Slowly and groaning, the thing moves toward us.

“A ghoul!” Yukio steps in front of Shiemi to shield her and brings up his gun, ready to shoot. 

“Hu… hu… hun… gry…” the ghoul moans. I blink in confusion.  _ What? _

“Just now,” says Shiemi worriedly, “did it say something…?”

Immediately, Yukio shoots it twice in the head. It collapses. 

“What happened?” Konekomaru yells as he, Ryuuji, and Takara are drawn by the sound of gunfire. “A ghoul…?!”

“No,” says Yukio solemnly, with a grim look on his face. “It talked. The chances are high that this is a zombie.”

“What’s the difference?” I ask in annoyance, not wanting to bother with the technicals too much. I just don’t see the point. “We can take them out either way, right?” 

“The way to defeat a ghoul and a zombie slightly differ from each other,” explains Konekomaru. “There exist rare individuals who can talk, and this is a characteristic of zombies. To put it simply, ghouls are fairly easy to defeat in comparison to zombies. Zombies are more difficult to defeat or even handle.”

“Their conditions are different in the first place,” continues Yukio. “Ghouls are demons that possess human corpses. Zombies are demons that parasitize the bodies of humans affected by necrosis.”

_ So they’re humans either way…  _ “Then… if we exorcise the parasitic demons, wouldn’t we save the hosts?” I ask. 

“There wasn’t a single case where a body in a stage of necrosis this advanced ever regained their humanity,” Yukio tells me grimly. “Putting them to rest is the only thing we can do for them.”

Konekomaru kneels down next to the body. “Experiment body No. 6411,” he reads off the tag on its hospital gown. “What kind of experiment were they conducting…?” Whatever the experiment, I’m disgusted that they had to use at least 6,411 people.  _ Just what is going on here? What kind of people could do this to so many innocent humans? _

Suddenly the body comes back to life, sitting up towards Konekomaru with a “Huuuuungry!” Konekomaru screams and Yukio shoots it again. It falls back to the ground. 

Yukio just stares at the thing. “That’s strange,” he says in confusion. “I was sure that the last bullets passed through the brain.”

“Knowing your aim, they probably  _ did _ ,” I murmur thoughtfully. “But if that’s the way to kill them, why didn’t it die…?”

“Konekomaru, are you okay?” Ryuuji asks worriedly.

“Y-yeah,” Konekomaru stammers.

“Guys!” Shiemi cries.

We all look around, and see a hoard of zombies heading toward us, all groaning the same word. “Meat…”

“Wha… Since when did so many…” I wonder.

“Yukio!” Konekomaru shouts, pointing at the one we just faced. It’s getting up again.

“What’s happening…?!” Yukio says in horror.

The zombies keep coming. Yukio shoots at them, and a couple of them fall. “Before we get surrounded, we need to find the underground entrance! Hurry!” says Ryuuji urgently.  _ Excellent point, but where is it? Where do we look? _

I guess it doesn’t matter where we look. We need to get out of here. This is a rather cramped space, and we’ll get slaughtered if we stay, so we all start running. We make it to a large area in the center of the shopping mall, standing in a defensive circle.

“It’s no good,” says Ryuuji. “They’ve surrounded this side too! There are a lot of them.”

“It’s no good this way either!”

“We’ll have to cut our way through.”

“I could do it in one shot with my bazooka. What do you guys think?”

“I think that it’s best if we stop using our firearms. They don’t work effectively against them, and we’d be wasting ammunition” suggests Konekomaru. “And if it fails to kill them instantly, we’ll be swarmed by human torches. But if we use Rin’s flames, we might be able to turn them into ashes instantly. Honestly, I don’t think we have a choice but to turn these zombies to ash.”

“My flames…?” I should have thought of that. It might actually work.  _ I would be killing dozens, maybe even hundreds, of people, but it would be for the best. They’re pretty much already dead anyway. Right? _

“Make up your mind already!” Yukio orders. “There’s no choice but to fight! If you hesitate, we might die!”

But I don’t get an opportunity to tell my brother what my stance is on it. Because suddenly there’s no floor beneath us, and we’re falling. We all scream.

“What is this?!” Ryuuji demands as we hit the sloping sides of a basin and start sliding down towards the hole at the bottom.

Shiemi slides through, and both Yukio and I scream her name, right before I follow her. The last thing I hear is Ryuuji and Yukio yelling my name, and then I’m sliding down a long, pitch-black tube. 

I land in a dark room. The only light is coming from the flames on the top of my head, my sword, and the end of my tail. I think I’m alone. “Hey!” I yell. “Anyone?! Guys! Where are you?! Answer me!” No one answers me, though. No one I know, anyway. Because cutting through the silent darkness is a sinister voice I’ve never heard before. 

“Pr… pr… prey…” it groans.

For some reason, I remember Renzo’s words, what told me just before he left with the Illuminati.  _ “I’ll give you one piece of advice. From now on, you’ll need to be prepared to kill humans if you want to win.” _ Is this what he meant? Did he know about these experiments? All these humans, their lives sacrificed for… what, exactly? Who would do something like this? Is this Lucifer’s bidding? 

Suddenly the lights come on, and I throw my arm in front of my eyes, blinded for a few seconds. When I’m finally able to open my eyes, I can see that I’m in a white room. On one end is the door to a cage, on the other is the tube I came in through, sealed up now. On the floor is a long panel of drains. I can only imagine what they’d have to wash off the walls and floor of this room. People sent here are clearly not meant to get out.

Slowly, the gate in front of me starts moving upward, to let out whatever is in there. I take a defensive stance, preparing myself for whatever they decide to throw at me. But nothing could have allowed me to anticipate  _ this. _ “What is this thing…?” I whisper in horror. It looks like a larger, more grotesque version of those zombies upstairs.

_ What do I do? _ I’m completely torn. This thing, whether it looks like it or not, used to be a human being. I can’t just kill it, can I? I’m supposed to be protecting humans, and yet here I am facing off against one. But it’s technically dead, isn’t it? It’s being possessed by a demon in its state of necrosis, and based off what its physical state is, it will never regain its humanity again. I make my decision.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologize. And I engulf the entire thing in my blue fire. It only takes a few minutes for it to become a smoldering pile of ashes. I have no time to linger, though. I need to get out of here and help the others. Using my flames, I blast a hole in the ceiling of my cell and take a flying leap out.

“Rin!” I hear my name while I’m in midair, and I look down. 

“Konekomaru!”  _ He made it out! _ “What about the others?!” I land near him. 

“Yukio is okay too. But I don’t know about the others,” he says. “Rin, you defeated yours, right?”

He means the zombie they sent in. I guess everyone got one. I exhale sadly. “I didn’t want to. But it’s a pile of ash now.”

Suddenly a tree bursts out of the top of the unit next to us.  _ Nii?  _ A second later, Shiemi pops out of the top branches. 

“Shiemi!”

“Rin! Konekomaru!” Shiemi greets us happily. “I’m so glad that you’re okay!”

“Are you alright?” I ask. 

“Yeah. Nii came to save me. We were able to fight somehow. We made the zombie return to the earth.” Nii carries her down, then poofs into his smaller form. 

“You’re awesome,” I tell her confidently. 

Shiemi giggles. “But I’m a mess, as you can see…”

I find a smile forming on my lips. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Izumo won’t mind if her savior looks a little frazzled.”

Shiemi giggles in embarrassment. “Let’s just make sure we save Izumo and Shima, okay?”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Anyway, for now, let’s get everyone out of the cells.” Becoming serious again, I stab Kurikara into the ground. “Satan Boom!” In an explosion of blue flame, everyone else (Yukio, Ryuuji, and Takara) is free. 

They emerge from their respective cells. Yukio sees us, and breathes a sigh of relief. “Everyone… you’re safe! That’s what’s most important!”

“Yukio!”

“Yuki!”

“You’re late!” my twin yells at me. 

“Eh?!” I gasp in fake shock.  _ What’s his problem? _ “What’s up with you?! And just as we reunite, too! You wound me, brother!” I groan dramatically. 

“Ah! Bon!” Konekomaru exclaims in relief when he sees Ryuuji. “You’re alright! That’s a relief!”

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

I slide into a pitch-black room, having fallen through that dark tube when the floor suddenly dropped out from under us. I get up and fumble around for my flashlight.  _ If I’m here, there might be others, right? Rin and Moriyama fell before me, so… _

“Rin! Moriyama?” I receive no answer. I find the flashlight and flick it on. I sweep the light around the small room. I’m alone. “Don’t tell me everyone got separated when we fell…?” 

Suddenly the lights come on, and I throw my arms in front of my eyes instinctively, blinded for a few seconds. When I open my eyes, I can see that I’m in a white room. On one end, in front of me, is the barred door of a cage, and on the other, behind me, is the tube I came in through, now sealed. On the floor is a long panel of drains. 

Slowly, the gate in front of me starts moving upward, and what appears to be a much larger, much more grotesque version of those zombies upstairs emerges. 

“This… this is… also a zombie?!”  _ If it is… _ I smirk and scoop up my bazooka. “That’s fine with me!” I load my weapon, position it on my shoulder, and aim.  _ It’s probably a long shot, but…  _ “Eat my bazooka!” I shoot, then recite a piece of holy scripture. But my attack does nothing to the zombie. “Tch. As I thought, it’s no good!”  _ Even if it’s a zombie, if it had faith while it was alive, I hoped that I could bring judgement upon it. So I fired to see what would happen, but…  _

I learned in my dragoon classes that the bazookas that exorcists use are mainly used in battle for rear support with a variety of techniques and ammunition. Demons who are blessed can be sealed at a wide range with magic bullets, or a spell formation by borrowing demonic powers can be deployed. For instance, a ‘fatal verse judgement bullet’ can bring judgement upon demons even if the fatal verse or the demon is unknown. Of course, there are some demons on which this doesn’t work. It’s standard for aria to shoot one of these at the start of a battle.

_ If I am to be an aria, a bazooka is an absolutely necessary weapon. From the time I decided to become an exorcist, I decided that I had to learn how to be a dragoon too. In my second year of middle school, each day became only training, since I was tall but too thin. I started the dragoon’s classes two and a half months ago. I finally got the license to use it in real combat. Now is the time to test the result of this training. Konekomaru might be right about me having a one-track mind, but I won’t let myself be made a fool of! _

But then the monster groans and charges at me. I’m barely able to get out of the way in time. “Go back,” the zombie moans loudly. 

_ What the…? It can still move? They won’t be defeated so easily. If it comes to this… not losing your fighting spirit, no matter what, is the key.  _ It lunges at me again, huge mouth gaping open as if to swallow me whole. “Go back to where, stupid?!” I yell, shoving my bazooka vertically in its mouth to stop it from eating me. 

“Go back… home.”

What the…  _ It has enough intelligence to respond?! _ “‘Go back home’...? You can’t live as a human anymore in this form,” I tell it. “Quiet down and rest in peace!”

“Go back!” It forces my bazooka out of its mouth, sending it spinning across the small room. 

_ So persuasion is impossible, _ I think in frustration as my weapon clatters to the ground next to me.  _ No, _ I realize.  _ It got angry because it understood what I said. _ I bend down and pick up my bazooka. _ Then, it’s either this or nothing! _ I open and load the weapon, then set it over my shoulder again. I shoot again, and try another spell. 

This time, the zombie ends up on the ground. It looks like it’s in pain. “Home…” it whispers. “Go back…”

A memory surfaces. 

_ “Bon! Let’s go back to the temple. We came to pick you up,” said a middle-school-aged Juuzo to the preschool-aged me, Koneko, and Renzo. The ‘we’ he was referring to was himself and Kinzo.  _

_ “Okay,” I said.  _

_ “Well then, let’s go.” _

_ Nearby, a couple of kids laughed. “Hahaha! ‘Bon,’ he said!” _

_ “So, Renzo! Koneko!” Kinzo said sternly as we walked. “You’re protecting Bon properly, right?! Hmm?!” _

_ “Yes,” Konekomaru replied cheerfully. “But Bon is strong on his own, so it’s easy to protect him.” _

_ “Bah, what’s with that anyway?” Renzo says grumpily. “Why do we still have to protect Bon? That’s unfair!” _

_ Angrily, Kinzo ground his knuckles into the sides of Renzo’s temple. “What kind of manners is that?” he demanded. “For the Shima and Miwa families, protecting the head priest is our bloodlines’ duty. Show more pride!” _

_ “That hurts!” Renzo complains. “Stop imitating Dad! You sound just like him!” _

_ “Sorry about our underling,” Juuzo apologized to me. “Please bear with it, Bon. In the Myou Dha too, the number of people us decreasing. We’re short on hands.” _

_ “That’s okay,” I said, “but… they say it’s weird that you and the others call me ‘Bon.’ Everyone is laughing.” _

_ “Is that so? Then, should I call you Ryuuji?” _

_ “Uh… Bon is fine after all.” _

_ “Bon, you’re the one who will carry on your shoulders the future of Myou Dha. That’s why, as well as the head priest, you’re the important ‘kaname’ of the Myou Dha to us.” _

_ “What’s a kaname?” I asked.  _

_ “A kaname is the place where you hold a folding fan. It’s the rivet that keeps the frame together. If that rivet were gone, the folding fan would fall apart. So please, let us protect you.” _

_ I smiled happily. “Okay.” _

_ From then on, I thought I was a kaname. For that purpose, I always needed to be one step above Shima and Konekomaru. To be above everyone else, I had to work harder than everyone else. I’ve been living this way since I realized that. I thought that, even when I ran away from Myou Dha and my father. I thought I’d be able to do it somehow. But despite that, why? Am I not needed anymore? What should I live for from now on? Can’t I go back to what it once was…? _

“Go… back home…” the thing in front of me wheezes. 

“Go back…” I whisper. I place my hand on its head and say a prayer. Its eyes close for the last time. “I’m the one who can’t go back anymore.”

A few minutes later, my cell explodes in a plume of blue flame.  _ Rin? _ I climb out onto the roof of the cell and see everyone. 

“You’re late!” Yukio is yelling at Rin. 

“Eh?!” she gasps in obviously feigned shock. “What’s up with you?! And just as we reunite, too! You wound me, brother!” 

“Ah! Bon!” Konekomaru says in relief when he sees me. “You’re alright! That’s a relief!”

  
  


Rin POV:

Suddenly there’s a sharp sound in the air. We hear laughter all around us on the intercom. “Kihihihi! Be quiet. Welcome, unsightly cockroaches,” says an unpleasant voice. “I am the head of this Illuminati eastern research facility, Michael Gedouin.” His voice really is creepy. It sends shivers down my spine, to the very end of my tail. “How dare you invade my sanctuary,” he scolds us, like a parent reprimanding naughty children. “This is the sanctuary of the experiments on the elixir of immortality! Those who intrude the sanctuary deserve only death! I will make you fully understand the extent of your sin. I will exterminate every last one of you!”

“Elixir?” Ryuuji wonders. “Immortality? What’s he talking about?”

“In other words,” says Yukio, the gears turning in his head as he figures it out, “Kamiki was abducted to serve as an experimental subject in a research to make medicine, or an elixir, granting immortality! And, most likely, the zombies we have been fighting until now are also victims of these experiments!”

“That’s exactly right,” Gedouin confirms. It sounds like he’s grinning. “The zombies are all f-a-i-l-u-r-e-s of the human experiments. They’re the tourists that gathered at Dream Town Inari,” he says proudly. “To create the elixir with the most powerful regenerative ability, I needed a large amount of experimental subjects.”

_ He used all those innocent people?! _ “Wha… There’s no way anyone could do that, right?!” I demand, stunned. 

“What’s wrong?” Gedouin asks innocently. “Relax. The foods and drinks sold in the Foxes’ Alley contain a narcotic drug which procures a sense of well-being in their brains. If they eat, they want to eat more. The tourists who can’t live without the Foxes’ Alley are selected to become residents of Dream Town Inari… and experimental subjects. Thanks to this drug, the subjects feel less fear and pain during the experiments. Using force during the experiments or inflicting unnecessary pain would be cruel. This ever so kind arrangement was made by Lucifer… how compassionate, isn’t he? Bukyahahaha!”

_ For him to treat humans like this… this is the very definition of cruel. _ “You… are you a demon?” I ask. That has to be the reason for this. And he certainly sounds ugly enough to be a demon. 

“No, I’m a human.” As much as I want to doubt his words, there’s no escaping this feeling. I don’t sense that he’s a demon. But that makes what he’s doing even worse, since he’s doing such awful things to other humans. “U-n-f-o-r-t-u-n-a-t-e-l-y!” I hear two tiny clicks, and one of the bigger zombies we’d just been fighting emerges from a cell. 

Kuro, in his large form, attacks it, but something’s different about this one. “ _ What’s happening? _ ” I hear Kuro’s voice in my head ask. He leaps away, and not a moment too late. The thing is growing larger and more grotesque. More and more of them are appearing and merging with each other. 

“What and how?!”

“I just detonated elixir capsules that were previously put inside their bodies,” Gedouin explains gleefully. “Well, you should think of it as some form of doping. Kikiki! From an overdose of the elixir, the destruction and regeneration of the flesh repeats itself, so they can no longer retain their original human form. To maintain the extraordinary regenerative power, it will continue to absorb the surrounding materials. Seeking energy, it changes into a crawling lump of meat. Kihahahahahaha!”

“Everyone, step back!” Yukio yells. 

“How could you do that?!” I scream at Gedouin. “Don’t you think there’s something wrong with it?!”

“I don’t,” admits Gedouin contemptuously. “I hate humans! Surely you know that you use various animals in your scientific experiments. You slaughter other beings in order to live. That’s the kind of living creature humans are! Shouldn’t you use your own selves in the first place? Humans using humans in experiments, this is only fair! If you think I’m wrong, I’m waiting for you to refute me. Hmm?”

The whole time he was talking, I’ve been getting more and more angry. I’m shaking, absolutely appalled that a mere human would do such things. I am only a few seconds away from running off to find this guy and pummel him into the ground. 

I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Rin, don’t listen to him!” Yukio urges me. 

But I ignore my brother. “How dare you!” I scream at Gedouin. “Using your fellow humans for science experiments?! What is wrong with you?! Did you ever  _ once _ get consent from  _ anyone _ to do this to them?! To kill them, but not let them be laid to rest?! What gives you the right, huh?!”

Gedouin laughs. “Please, I had plenty of consent! They came here, didn’t they? Ate the food, wanted to live in the housing we so generously provided for them… Is it not right that they submit their bodies for experimentation as payment for our hospitality?” He grins horribly. “They wanted this, stupid girl!”

“You drugged them without their knowledge! You got them so addicted to the food here that they had no choice but to stay and live here! But then you stole even  _ that _ from them when you turned them into zombies! How  _ dare _ you say that they wanted this to be their fate! How  _ dare _ you presume to know what they wanted their lives to be like when you never even asked them while they were still independent of your will!” I yell. 

“If you don’t agree with my righteous methods, just keep your mouth shut!” Gedouin shouts. “Kyahahaha! Insipid shallow hypocrites! Face the righteous one and die!” The monster comes after us again.

We can’t really do anything but run from the thing. It’ll keep growing, and there won’t be anything else we can do about it because of its regenerative capabilities. 

Suddenly, Shiemi sees something. “Izumo!” she cries. I look around, and there she is. She’s dressed in a ceremonial kimono and is being led by guards across a bridge above us and off to the side. 

“Izumo?”  _ There she is! I can save her! She’s what we came here for! _ I take a flying leap toward her, using my flames to propel myself forward. “Izumo!”

“Rin!” Yukio yells after me.

“We came to save you!” Izumo looks at me in surprise as I fly over the railing, sword out and ready to cut her bindings. 

“No, you don’t!” Renzo rushes forward and blocks my sword with his staff. He swings it like a baseball bat and makes contact with my right side, sending me flying into a wall. “Hurry!” Renzo yells at Izumo’s guards. 

“Shima!” Ryuuji and Yukio yell in unison. 

“Sorry, but I’m not handing Izumo to you, Rin!” He leaps at me, ready to attack again. 

“Renzo…!” I growl. “What happened to you?! We’re friends!” I push off from the wall, flying past him. 

“You’re still saying that? Hah! I even warned you, didn’t I?” Renzo laughs. 

“What is  _ wrong _ with you?!” I demand. “Do the past several months of being classmates mean  _ nothing _ to you?! Do my brother’s feelings for you mean  _ nothing _ anymore?! Tell me, Renzo, did you actually like him, or was that all just an act too?!”

Renzo smirks. “Of course that wasn’t an act. But my feelings have nothing to do with my mission. If Yukio happens to reciprocate what I feel for him, that’s his business.”

“Shut up!” I punch him in the face as hard as I can. “Wake up, Renzo!” Now that he’s out of the way, I get back to Izumo, holding out my hand. “Izumo! Come on! Hurry!” But she just looks at me in shock. “What’s wrong?” Then her expression turns to cold distrust. “Izumo? What’s wrong with you? Let’s go!” I grab her arm. 

“Doing whatever you want…” she whispers, speaking for the first time. “I don’t need to be saved!” Izumo yells. “Don’t interfere!” She knocks my hand away. “This is my problem alone,” she says as she walks away from me, as proudly as a girl who’s tied up can. 

“What?”  _ What was that about? _

“Rin!” Yukio and Ryuuji yell in unison, just before Renzo’s gigantic ball of black flame hits me. It knocks me off the side of the bridge, and I scream as I fall into the abyss below. 


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuro carries the whole team on his back. Rin fights Renzo, finds Izumo, and meets Tamamo and Gedouin. Tamamo makes the ultimate sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I apologize if my updating schedule hasn’t been at all consistent. I will try to be more disciplined on that and set a weekly schedule for myself.   
> On the other hand, I can’t believe we’re already on chapter 37! That’s more than halfway done with the chapters I’ve already completed (minus the editing). I’m going to have to up my game on writing new chapters as well!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ryuuji POV:

“Rin!” Yukio and I shout desperately.  _ I’m sure she’ll be fine, but… Shima just… threw Rin off a bridge… _ Without hesitation, Shima dives in after her. 

A large weight lands behind us. “Kuro!” Yukio exclaims in surprise.  _ Where’s he been? Didn’t he fall like the rest of us?  _ Kuro looks around at the mutated zombie trapping us. It seems like he’s saying something, but only Rin would know. “This can’t be… We’re cornered!” There’s nowhere left to go. “Kuro! You can carry all of us at once, right?!” Yukio asks the huge cat sith. Kuro gives him a look, as if saying,  _ I don’t really have a choice, do I? _ But Kuro still nods, granting us permission to ride on him. 

We all clamber onto his back (I actually get the front this time, with Yukio, Moriyama, and Koneko behind me, and Takara clinging to one of Kuro’s tails), and he gets us away from the huge zombie. But… 

“It’s not chasing us!” Konekomaru gasps in shock. 

“Is it drawn in by matter emitting a strong energy?” Yukio wonders.  _ A strong energy…  _ I can only think of Rin. The zombie is moving downward, into the crevasse that Rin and Shima just fell down mere moments ago.  _ Is it following her? _

“With only us left, an enemy of this level isn’t one we can take on!”

“What should we do?”

“Why not chase after Rin and Shima?” I suggest. There’s nowhere else to go, anyway. 

No one is able to answer me, though, because Kuro takes off on his own accord. Whether he says anything is debatable, but I have a feeling that he agrees with me, that we should go after those two. I get the feeling that he loves Rin about as much as Yukio and I do. 

  
  


Rin POV:

“Rin!” Yukio and Ryuuji yell, just before Renzo’s gigantic ball of black flame hits me. It knocks me off the side of the bridge, and I scream as I fall into the abyss below. 

I can vaguely hear Renzo’s voice just above me, and it seems he jumped in after me. I land on another bridge, several meters below where we were before, but I don’t have time to get my bearings, because Renzo is right behind me with an attack. I dodge just in time, landing a decent distance away from him. 

“You really mean it this time?!” I demand, still working on being able to believe he’d do something like this. “Why are you doing this?! We came to save you and Izumo!”

“If we’re talking about Izumo,” says Renzo casually, “right now she should be right underneath us. If you want to save her, just save her, right?”

“Huh? Are you an idiot as well as a traitor?!”  _ What’s he talking about? Just save her?  _ He’s _ the one preventing me from doing that! _

“Ah! Here it comes!” Renzo says suddenly, looking above my head. My confusion turns to shock as, barely a second later, that…  _ thing, _ that combined zombie, crashes down above us. “These certainly got stronger,” he comments. “And it seems that they’re drawn in by an energy source.”

“Wha…?!”

“Hah. I’m safe since your blue flames make a good decoy,” smirks Renzo. Something, a part of this abomination, wraps around my ankle, and I scream. “There’s no one around to save you. Such a pity, I would have liked to have you as my sister-in-law someday.” He brandishes his staff, and now I see there’s a black flame, shaped like a blade, on the end of it. And he’s pointing it at me. “Are you prepared to take on me  _ and _ that monster?!” He charges. 

“Are you really Renzo?!” I demand. “You’re being deceived, manipulated!”

But then the black flame blade sinks into my chest, just above my left breast, and only barely misses my heart. “This is the real me,” he tells me calmly as more parts of the monster wraps around me. I gasp in pain from the constriction paired with the stab wound. 

“You…” I manage to whisper. “What about Ryuuji and Konekomaru?! What about _Yukio_?! Don’t you care about any of them at all?! How do you think they feel?! Huh?!” Renzo doesn’t answer. He just gives me a dark look. Then the monster takes me, hoisting my body up and into its own. I suddenly feel very weak. _What?! My strength is gone!_ “Let go!” I yell at the thing. But it isn’t just pulling me into its body. _It’s_ _literally pulling me inside of its body._ I scream as zombie flesh closes in around me, now completely trapped. 

I feel so useless. We came to save them.  _ “I don’t need to be saved! Don’t interfere!”  _ Izumo yelled at me. _ “This is the real me,” _ Renzo said. Neither of them wants to be saved. And now I’m trapped.  _ What should I do…?  _ But before I can decide, I start hearing the voices in my head. 

“ _ Mo… er… _ ”

“ _ Owww… _ ”

“ _ It hurts… _ ”

In horror, I realize exactly what these voices are.  _ Those are the voices of the people who were turned into zombies…  _ They all sound like they’re in agony. They want their mothers. It’s horrible. I’m able to reach up and press my hands to my elongated ears.  _ This can’t be real…! I’m such an idiot! I don’t know what to do anymore! _

My ears start to pick up new sounds, coming from beneath me. There’s only one thing to do now. I start blazing a path (literally) through the gargantuan zombie’s body, downwards to the sounds. I finally emerge (partially, but enough), and find that I’m looking down into a large chamber. 

In the center, just below me, is a figure curled up on the floor.  _ I recognize that kimono. _ She has nine fluffy tails and fox ears, but that’s definitely her. “Izumo?” I whisper, not loud enough for her, or anyone else, to hear me. But I can hear her crying quietly. 

“That’s right!” a horrible and familiar voice shouts. Gedouin. “Hurry up and die! Your life is no longer worth anything!”

“Help… me!” Izumo sobs. 

“Die!” Gedouin yells gleefully. “Die! Die for my sake!” He laughs. 

This is all I can take from him. Without hesitation, I blow up the ceiling to use the quickest way down to get to her: falling. I leap down into the fray, riding a wave of rage and blue flame all the way to the ground and simultaneously burning up every last cell of the behemoth zombie. And I hope Gedouin is very scared, because I am prepared to go on a (controlled) rampage, and I will not stop until I’ve made him pay several times over for what he’s done to my friend.

There’s a thick barrier of glass around Izumo and the tied-up figure I just now noticed, so I make sure to shatter it upon my landing. Glass shards fly outward toward the scientists, driving them back to a safe distance for now.  _ Who is that person? _ I wonder, glancing at the tied-up figure. It looks like a woman, but she’s wearing the same short hospital gown as the zombies upstairs and she’s covered head to toe in bandages, practically mummified. Her wrists are restrained by shackles attached to a vertical table. I don’t have time to worry about her now, but I do make sure she’s free. She falls limply to the ground. 

I stand, protecting Izumo and the bandaged woman, literally burning with rage and glaring at the so-called scientists to make sure they know that they’re the target of my rage. 

“This is Rin Okumura!” one scientist cries, terrified. “The daughter of Satan! What should we do, Dr. Gedouin?!” I growl a little, partially just for show, and he yelps and cowers back in fear. 

But there’s a short, fat, ugly man who just points and laughs at me. “Pfft! You… you killed the inflation zombie, didn’t you?” I recognize his voice.  _ So this is Gedouin, huh? _ “You think that it’s for Izumo’s sake, so it can’t be helped? Huh? You called me a demon, but aren’t  _ you _ the same?!”  _ I will never be the same as Gedouin. Biologically, I might be a demon and he might be a human, but he is far more evil than I will ever dream of being. _ “Anyway, Izumo wishes to cooperate in this experiment. She did for the last five years! Are you trying to be an ally of justice?! Don’t get things wrong! You hypocrite! And they say you’re the daughter of Satan! I certainly won’t acknowledge you as such!”

Blinded by rage, I don’t even realize I’ve been moving forward until my flaming left fist hits the right side of Gedouin’s stupid fat face. He goes flying into the wall behind him. “Shut up! Can’t you see that she’s crying?!” I yell at him. The scientists, the ones who are still standing, retreat in fear, scrambling from the room as quickly as they can and abandoning their superior.  _ Tch. As if I’d chase small-fry like them. _ With Gedouin taken care of for the moment, I go back to Izumo, holding out my hand. “Izumo, can you stand up?” I ask as gently as I can. 

Meanwhile, Gedouin seems to be calling for help, but no one is coming to his aid. “What that guy said is true,” says Izumo miserably. “Just leave me! Take my mother… and go.”

“Mother?”

“Over there…” she says, pointing at the bandaged woman who was previously tied up. 

I just manage to get my left arm around Izumo’s mother’s waist and her right arm around my neck before the zombies start falling from the ceiling. I yelp in surprise. “Crap!” I yell.  _ I don’t have time for them! _ But I have to protect Izumo and her mom. I swing Kurikara, and set the head of one of the zombies on fire. But they keep coming. “Don’t come any closer!” I shout, focusing my flames so that it covers a bunch of the zombies and burns them from head to toe. That distraction temporarily taken care of, I turn my attention back to my classmate. “Izumo! Get up!”

She groans from her spot on the ground. She’s on her hands and knees. “It’s… fine. Leave me!”

“Like I would leave you, idiot!” I will not leave any room for negotiation here. I came to save her, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. “Grab onto my right side!” I order her, holding out my free arm. 

Suddenly there are three zombies in front of us. “Meat…” one of them moans. 

I barely have time to prepare to fight them when they’re suddenly blown away by a large impact.  _ A bullet? No… more like a  _ missile _.  _

“ _ Rin! _ ” I hear in my head.  _ Kuro? _ He’s practically flying down to where Izumo and I are. But it’s not just him. 

“Everyone!” They’re all on his back as my demon cat lands in front of me. “That saved us! Thanks!”

“Who is this?!” Yukio asks, indicating the woman I’m carrying. 

“This is Izumo’s mom,” I explain. “Let her ride, Kuro!”

“Kamiki is in a state of demonic possession!” Konekomaru panics as Ryuuji helps me with Izumo’s mom. “Don’t tell me it’s the nine tails?!”

“We must bring her to a specialist in exorcism immediately,” says Yukio, kneeling down to examine her. 

“Enough… it’s too late!” Izumo insists angrily. “Can’t you tell?! Hurry! Just go!” She’s trying to save us from herself, but that’s not going to happen. 

“Kamiki! What you said earlier, what was that about?!”

“Bon…”

“I can do first-aid treatment with aloe! Leave it to me!”

“Nii!”

“Just… shut… up!” Izumo screams, clutching her head in agony.  _ Oh no.  _ The nine tailed fox is taking over. And I don’t know about this just because I can see it; I can feel it, too. 

“No one can help me!” the fox yells through Izumo’s mouth. “AHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Izumo!” Shiemi reaches toward her. 

“You’re a nuisance!” The fox discharges a burst of energy that knocks Konekomaru and Shiemi off balance. 

“Yukio!” Ryuuji yells. “How can we exorcise the nine tails?!”

“This is an old and powerful upper class demon. We probably haven’t found a way to exorcise it yet,” admits Yukio grimly. “Actually, the Kamiki family would be that specialist. If only Kamiki’s mother could regain consciousness…”

But as if on cue, there she is, standing next to Kuro. “Ah… I can see her…!” Tamamo murmurs quietly. “Izumo!” She addresses the nine tails directly. “I won’t let you have my daughter. Tamamo asks of you to fulfill my prayers.”

Instead, though, the nine tails charges at her. As they fight, the rest of us fight the zombies surrounding us. Finally, from what I can hear, since I’m not looking, Tamamo is able to get the nine tails to come back to her, to possess her once more. Izumo collapses, and Shiemi runs to her side. 

Meanwhile, Gedouin, who is the only one still here besides us, is, to put it mildly, panicking. “Izumo’s data! Where are they?! Where did they disappear to?!” Gedouin shrieks, clearly panicking. 

“The nine tails returned inside of me,” Tamamo tells everyone calmly, “and will die with me. Your plans… this is as far as they’ll go…”

I hear a thump just as I finish ensuring the death of the last of the more threatening zombies. A few remain, but they aren’t a priority now. “Mother!” Izumo cries. 

“I’m… glad… for you… Izumo…” whispers Tamamo weakly.  _ She’s dying.  _ “I’m sorry…”

Gradually, the rest of us make our way over to the mother and daughter. “Stop that!” Izumo cries at Tamamo. “Why…? Somehow you always made me save you, and now that…! Why would you do something like that only now?!” Izumo is clearly angry, confused, and sad. 

Tamamo reaches her hand up, slides it behind Izumo’s neck, and pulls her down a little bit. She whispers in her ear, but I can hear every word she says. “You’re my treasure.”

Tears stream down Izumo’s face as she wails. She buries her face in her mother’s chest, sobbing. “I was wrong!”

“It’s… alright,” says Tamamo kindly. She is still having difficulty speaking, and part of me wants to tell her to stop, to conserve her strength, but then she’d never be able to say what she needs to tell her daughter. “Everyone… is by your side… Tsukumo too… Uke… Mike… So… it’s… alright…” Tamamo speaks no more. Her eyes close for the last time, and her body goes limp. 


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio and the esquires fight Gedouin, Renzo abandons his friends, and reinforcements arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! This chapter is a little shorter than some of my previous ones, and not much happens, but I hope you all enjoy it.   
> Now that I’m trying to follow a consistent update schedule, new chapters will be posted every Monday.

Rin POV

Yukio wastes no time in kneeling down beside Tamamo. He goes into doctor-mode as he pries open one of her eyes and shines a flashlight into the pupil, then checks her pulse. He closes his eyes and silently shakes his head. I knew it, even before he told us. She’s gone. 

“So,” I murmur solemnly, breaking the silence, “she died protecting Izumo…”  _ Just like my dad nearly died protecting me. _ I can’t help but notice how similar that time and this one are. I know how Izumo feels. I felt the same way when I thought my dad  _ had _ died for me, but Izumo doesn’t have the luxury of her mom only being in a coma. No, her mother is truly dead now, confirmed by a doctor-in-training.

“And what of it?!” Gedouin’s screeching voice brings me back to the harsh reality of where we are and who we still have to deal with. “Every day, two hundred thousand people are born and die like piles of rubbish. Don’t cry now because one old hag died, you trash!”  _ Old hag?! That ‘old hag’ happens to be my friend’s mother! _ “But I’m different! I’m different from these pieces of trash! I’m special!” Laughing, he takes a sort-of helmet off the table next to him and puts it on his head, covering his eyes. 

“What is he doing?” Ryuuji wonders. We can’t really do anything but wait and watch. If we run, we’ll either meet something more dangerous or he’ll come after us. Besides, with Izumo’s mom like this, we can’t leave her. 

“Now, with this savior mask, I will force a demon to possess me. Since I am a savior! Did you think that I didn’t do the elixir experiment on myself?! Of course I did! And I survived! After we got our hands on the nine tails and the research got on track, I gave up on the idea of letting a demon possess my body. But now it’s all over! If you use it without narrowing down a target, you don’t know what will possess you, but I’m sure that it will be a demon befitting my beauty!” And then he presses a button on the side of the mask, and it starts. Gedouin laughs maniacally as the demon possesses his body. I can actually feel it coming into existence, entering Assiah. 

“For real?!” Ryuuji yells. 

“Everyone, stay back!” Yukio orders as he bends down to pick up Tamamo’s lifeless body. 

No one dares disobey as we watch the monstrous man turn into a monstrous… well, monster. But for everyone else’s safety, I move so I’m standing in front of our group so I can protect them if need be. I don’t want to take any chances with Gedouin. He — it? — looks like an octopus, or a squid, or a jellyfish, with a blob-like torso and many tentacles for… legs? But either way, he’s hideous. He also has a human-like face, if one could call it that, since it’s almost the same as (but much more ugly than) the one he had before he transformed into this hideous being. 

“There’s only one exit, and Gedouin is blocking the way!”

“So you mean that we don’t have a choice but to fight?!”

“All of you humans, die!” Gedouin screams, and he shoots his tentacles out. But instead of going for us, he is aiming for the remaining zombies. He grabs them by the large handful, and absorbs them. 

“He’s preying on the zombies…?” Yukio gapes in surprise. 

“That appearance…” says Konekomaru, clearly recognizing it. “It’s probably a necrophager. The necrophager’s weakness is…” But he immediately stops, because one of the tentacles is coming right for him. He screams, but then Ryuuji helps out by shooting it with his bazooka. 

This is no time to sit around. While Yukio puts Tamamo down and Izumo and Shiemi watch over her body, the rest of us start fighting. I slash at every bit of tentacle that comes within reach of my sword, Yukio, Reiji, and Ryuuji shoot with their respective weapons, and Konekomaru defends himself as best he can. 

“It doesn’t matter whether we know its weaknesses or not,” says Yukio as he fires his pistols. “Its body is enhanced by the elixir experiment!”

“What a pain,” I grumble as I slice off more tentacles. 

“Rin, can’t you repeat the technique you did when you purified the Impure King?” Konekomaru asks desperately. 

“Kashou Zanmai?” I ask to clarify, remembering the name and technique. “That one’s difficult, you know. I was only able to do it that time because Ucchusma helped me, and I haven’t exactly been able to practice it since then.”

“Seriously?!” Konekomaru gasps. I know it’s not what anyone wants to hear, but it’s true. That technique took a lot out of me the one time I used it. I fainted right afterward and didn’t wake up until the next day, in the early afternoon. Although, I suppose we were all out until early morning and had a pretty exhausting battle. 

“What are you saying?! Don’t tell me that Satan Slash is your only technique!” Ryuuji shouts. 

“Of course not! Just watch!”  _ Shura taught me better than that! _ I drive my sword into the monster, focus, and yell, “Satan Boom!” Explosions of blue fire cover Gedouin’s body, and he screams in agony as my attack does damage. This time, Ryuuji doesn’t laugh at my technique’s name. 

As Gedouin burns, I hear Izumo getting up behind me. “I must… fight too…” Shiemi protests, but Izumo doesn’t listen to her. “Mother… Tsukumo… Uke… Mike… lend me your strength!” Suddenly her foxes are right there beside her, even though she didn’t summon them. “Uke! Mike! But how?! I’m sure that Shima…”

“We’ll talk afterwards!” Mike snaps, cutting her off. “Now is not the time! Use us!”

Suddenly I notice my own familiar, in the corner. “Kuro?! What are you doing, cowering over there?! You’re not going to help us?!”

“ _ Scary… the squid is scary, _ ” he whimpers in my head. 

“What?!”  _ I know Gedouin is hideous, but we still have to fight! _

Suddenly Izumo is right here, standing with her two familiars by her sides. “I will defeat him!” she declares. 

“Izumo?”  _ Is it a good idea for her to be standing, in her condition? _

“But, while I chant the Shinto ritual prayer, I’ll become defenseless. So, everyone, please help me!” She looks behind her at Shiemi. “Can you protect my mother?”

“Of course!”

“That’s right!” I tell Izumo. “Because that’s the reason why we came here!”

“You don’t need to tell us, idiot,” hisses Ryuuji, scowling a bit at her. 

“The byakko’s spirit and light attributes are probably effective against the necrophager,” realizes Konekomaru. “I may be of little help, but I will support you!”

“It seems to be worth a try,” agrees Yukio. “All members, support Kamiki’s chant!”

And so it begins. Gedouin has started moving again, so I don’t stick around to listen to Izumo chant. I dive headfirst toward the demon, so I can at least get a head start on cutting him to pieces. I hear the others attacking as well. Yukio’s guns, Ryuuji’s bazooka, Shiemi and Nii, Konekomaru defending himself as best he can with a metal rod he found somewhere. Izumo’s chant finally finishes, and Uke and Mike, who have attained human-like forms, launch themselves at Gedouin. 

“I hate humans!” Gedouin screams. “I’m the only one who is cute! Hypocrites! You’re only filthy rubbish!”

But before he can say another word, Mike is there, on his head, plunging a sword into his face. Mike leaps off and lands on the ground in front of Izumo, and then Gedouin explodes. He burns before our eyes, screaming in agony. At first I think that’s the end of it, but then there are tentacles everywhere, rushing past us. But they’re going in the wrong direction. 

“It’s shrinking…!” Yukio says in surprise. Sure enough, Gedouin is getting smaller and smaller, though mostly retaining his hideous form rather than becoming human again. 

“Was it enough to kill him?” Konekomaru asks fearfully.

“Let’s hope so,” scowls Ryuuji bitterly. 

“If he’s a success from the elixir experiment, he won’t die from something like that,” says Izumo. She looks a bit wobbly. “Besides, I still have to talk… with this guy…” But that’s all she gets to say before she collapses face-first to the ground. 

“Izumo!” I shout, worried. 

Konekomaru kneels down next to her and feels her neck for her pulse. “Seems like she just lost consciousness,” he concludes. “That’s a relief…”  _ Thank goodness…  _

But we don’t have time to celebrate, because the zombies we just defeated are coming back to life, moaning about meat. My brother wastes no time. “Kamiki’s rescue mission is complete!” he announces. “Let’s withdraw and wait for reinforcements to arrive! We’ll fix the rest later!”

“Wait!” Ryuuji protests. “There’s still Shima!”

“That’s right!” I agree. “We have to bring back Renzo too!”

“I understand how you’re feeling,” Yukio promises, and for a second I think I can see pain flash in his eyes, “however…”

“Haha!” a voice above us laughs. It’s Renzo. He’s surrounded by black flames coming from his staff. “As expected of you guys.”

“Renzo!”  _ How could he be grinning so casually like that?! _ His black flames reach down and grab Gedouin. 

“Even though I say that, I guess we’re enemies now, so I suppose you won’t take my praise lightheartedly. Haha!” The flames lift Gedouin toward Renzo. “Oh, right. We can’t keep talking like this. I have to run away…”

He starts to leave with Gedouin, but Ryuuji calls him back. “Wait!” he yells. Renzo stops. “Is it my fault?!”

Renzo slowly turns, and a grin creeps up his face. “You’re wrong,” he says. “This is for my sake.”  _ For his sake? And why would it be Ryuuji’s fault? _ “Well then! Everyone take care!” Renzo calls in a sing-song voice. Then he’s gone. 

“Eh… Ryu? What was that about?” I ask, looking back and forth in between him and the place where Renzo just disappeared. But he just stares, dumbstruck, after his old friend. 

He is, however, broken out of his trance by the gunfire behind him. “Everyone!” Yukio shouts, shooting at his attackers.  _ Right. Zombies. _ “We have to escape right away! At this rate, we’ll be surrounded by zombies!” Suddenly there are empty clicking sounds. “And I ran out of bullets…”

“Leave it to me!” I yell, raising my sword. “Satan…” But before I can finish my attack, the zombies I was planning to Satan Slash are sent flying.  _ Huh?! _

“Bon!” a new voice shouts joyfully. “So you were alright!”

“Kinzo?!” Ryuuji gasps in surprise. 

“Aye!” Kinzo and a bunch of other exorcists are here. I guess these are our reinforcements. “Leave this to us, the Kyoto branch’s Bon rescue team!” He screams as he goes berserk on the zombies. 

“We’re the reinforcement team,” one of the Hojo sisters corrects Kinzo in exasperation. I can’t tell which one it is. “Advance team, thanks for the hard work. The joint team from the Kyoto, Mie, and Matsue branches will take over. We’ve already taken control of Inari’s perimeter.”

“Come on, kids, this way,” someone gestures. “We’re going to get you all to the hospital. Some of you look pretty injured.”

As a small team of exorcists escorts us from the building, I remember something. I look around, and spot him, still cowering in the corner. 

“Kuro!” I call. He looks up at my voice. “Come on, boy, we’re leaving. It’s alright now.”

“ _ Thank goodness! _ ” Kuro sprints toward me, and leaps into my arms, cuddling me. 

Cradling Kuro in my arms, I follow everyone else into the ambulances waiting for us. I share mine with Yukio, Shiemi, and Takara. Meanwhile, Ryuuji, Izumo, and Konekomaru take the other one. 

Doctors check our injuries on the way, and when we arrive at the hospital, we’re separated into two separate rooms. Izumo, Shiemi, Kuro, and I are assigned to one room while Yukio, Takara, Ryuuji, and Konekomaru are put in another. 

I have to say, I’m delighted to see the pajamas waiting for us on each bed. I change into mine quickly, bid goodnight to everyone, and fall unconscious the moment my head hits the pillow. 


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumo finds out about the fate of her sister and bonds with Rin and Shiemi. The boys get caught eavesdropping. Juuzo tells the esquires a shocking story about Renzo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I am so sorry! I know I promised to update on a regular basis, but here I am posting on a Tuesday instead of my predetermined day. I had a rather emotionally difficult couple of days thanks to my mental health, and quite frankly forgot.   
> Again, I’m very sorry, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, as short as it is. I promise to try to do better in the future.

Rin POV

I regain consciousness many hours later, sometime the next morning. The first thing I notice is that my body is completely healed of whatever injuries I sustained last night. _Big shock,_ I think, unsurprised. I guess there _are_ times I’m a little thankful for this demonic body of mine. The second thing I notice is that there is a soft weight on my stomach. The third thing I notice is that Izumo is also awake and talking to someone. I decide to keep my eyes closed to give her a sense of privacy. 

“Nothing’s over yet,” she’s saying. “I couldn’t find Tsukumo’s whereabouts…”

“Tch! Five years ago, in order to escape, you and Tsukumo relied on a woman from the Illuminati.”  _ Takara? What’s he doing in our room? _ “In the end, where do you think the client she chose was from? The client was from the True Cross Order. But the woman was killed, and you were imprisoned. Only Tsukumo could be put to safety.”

Izumo gasps. “Then… you mean… Tsukumo… is still alive?! Where is she?! Why didn’t you tell me until now?!” I hear covers rustling as she scrambles to throw her blankets off and get out of bed. There’s another noise, and I’m not entirely sure, but I think something hits her on the head. 

“This is a key that will lead you to Tsukumo Kamiki,” says Takara. “It was a present from my employer. How about you try and make sure of it with your own eyes?”

I hear more rustling, then a click. A door is opened, and it sounds like she’s gone, along with Takara. I open my eyes, and confirm it. I’m alone with a sleeping Shiemi. 

I also find out that the weight on my stomach is my little familiar. I’m relieved to see he’s alright. He shifts when he feels me moving, and opens one eye. “ _ Rin? _ ” Kuro greets me sleepily. 

“Hey, little buddy,” I whisper, so I don’t wake Shiemi. 

“ _ Rin! _ ” He crawls up so he’s on my chest, nuzzling my cheek. I hug him, and his tails bump lazily against my arms. 

“How’re you doing, Kuro?” I ask. 

“ _ I’m much better, now that the scary squid isn’t around! _ ” Scary squid… He means Gedouin. 

I chuckle. “I figured you’d say that. But that’s right, he’s gone now.” I sit up, put Kuro on my lap, stretch, and comb my fingers through my hair, starting from the top of my head. But my fingers stop only a short way through, unable to go any further.  _ My hair…  _ From what I can tell, it’s  _ really _ tangled right now. I pick up Kuro, since he doesn’t seem to want to stop cuddling, and walk with him into the bathroom so I can look at myself in the mirror and investigate. “I wonder what happened to my hair…” I murmur to myself. It’s never this bad. Holding Kuro in one arm, I touch the rats’ nest on my head with my free hand gingerly, as if I’m going to hurt it.  _ How did this even — oh.  _ I vaguely remember being pulled inside of a sticky blob-like chimera zombie last night. It must have happened then, but I didn’t notice at all.

Kuro nuzzles into my chest. “ _ It doesn’t look that bad, Rin _ ,” he tells me earnestly. 

I can’t help but smile at him. “Thanks, Kuro. You’re wrong, but you’re really sweet to say that.” I press a kiss between his ears, and he purrs. I need to find a brush, and soon. I should have had Yukio braid my hair before we went on this mission. That way I wouldn’t have this problem right now… 

I hear Shiemi yawning and sitting up in bed from the room, so I go back in to see how she’s doing. 

When she sees me, she smiles. “Good morning, Rin,” she greets me cheerfully.

“Good morning, Shiemi,” I tell her, catching her contagious smile as I sit back down on my bed. “How are you feeling?”

Suddenly the sound of a door slamming shut reaches our ears, and we turn around. Izumo is back. “‘Morning,” Shiemi greets her. “How’s your body doing? I’m still hurting everywhere…”

But Izumo isn’t responding. She just looks dazed, like she saw something so unbelievable. “Izumo?” I ask carefully. “What’s wrong?”

She doesn’t answer for a moment. “I…” she finally says. “I have a little sister I was separated from. Her name was Tsukumo. For the last five years, I… always imagined the worst… but she was safe all along…” Tears well up in her eyes, threatening to spill down her face. “She looks happy, with a father and mother who look kind.” She smiles fondly, her cheeks reddening. “And she’s becoming a lady… I’m truly, truly glad...!” The tears finally fall, sliding down her cheeks in hot, wet trails. She doesn’t look glad now. “But she doesn’t remember me anymore!” Izumo wails. “She was only three years old when we were separated. It can’t be helped… I know that, but… for five years, saving her was my only reason to live! I can’t accept that it was all for nothing! This is too cruel!”

It really is cruel. I can’t imagine being separated from Yukio for five years, only to reunite with him and find out that he does not remember me. “I’m sorry, Izumo,” I apologize sympathetically. 

“How could you possibly understand?!” Izumo screams. “People like you two, always surrounded by your family, and grew up carefree… You don’t understand! This pitiful feeling…!” I hear a small sniffle, and I look over to see that Shiemi has started crying silently. “Don’t cry!” she yells at her. “You always cry too easily! If I hurt you, you can talk back to me, you know?! It’s bad of me to be screaming wildly at you like this, so just say it! That’s what I hate about—” She stops, seeing the matching looks on our faces. Shiemi and I are just looking at her kindly. If anyone deserves to be like this after what we just went through, it’s Izumo. She needs to vent, and she should know by now that we’re here for her. 

“I’m glad,” Shiemi says, crying happily. 

“Nori came to see us off at the train station,” I tell her as I get off my bed. “You know what she told us?” I start walking toward Shiemi and Izumo. “She said she was leaving you to us. And that you told her you were jealous of me and Shiemi, of how free we were to cry, laugh, or get angry. She told us to take care of you. And that’s what we’re going to do.” I put one arm around Shiemi and hold my other out to Izumo, inviting her to come closer. She does, and I pull her in so that we’re in a three-person hug. 

“If you can cry, laugh, and get angry at us, Izumo,” sobs Shiemi, “I’m glad!”

We all press our faces into each other’s shoulders. “Paku, that idiot!” Izumo cries. “What is she telling everyone?! When we go back, I’ll beat her up!”

Her declaration sounds so ridiculous that I start giggling, followed by Shiemi, and then Izumo. Soon we’re all laughing loudly and wholeheartedly, and my smaller friends are crying tears of joy, relief, sadness, and everything in between. Kuro slides into the middle of us all at one point, wanting in on the hug fest. We gladly let him in. 

It takes a few minutes, but we finally manage to compose ourselves enough to let go of one another. “You’re going to be fine, Izumo,” I promise. “We’ll be here for you, no matter what. I swear.”

But before she can answer me, there’s a raised voice outside our door. In an instant, I’m at the door, ready to defend the others from whatever lies beyond it. I rip open the door and find Ryuuji, Konekomaru, and my brother, all appearing to have been fighting a few seconds ago (Yukio and Ryuuji’s hair are ruffled messily). It takes me only a second to realize they were eavesdropping. 

I scowl. “Explanation.  _ Now _ .”

“I-I just wanted to check up on you girls!” Ryuuji stammers. “But I heard what was going on and didn’t want to disturb you, then Yukio and Konekomaru joined me a minute ago and tried to go in, but I stopped them, and we ended up fighting and making a racket. I’m sorry!” He bows in apology, as if manners could be considered retribution for his crime. 

I’m not ready to forgive him yet, though. I bare my fangs. “Leave,” I growl. “ _ Now _ . Before I set fire to something you don’t want burned.”

“Yes, my esteemed princess!” 

“As you wish, Sister.”

“Okay, we’re leaving!” Ryuuji herds Yukio and Koneko away quickly, as fast as they can without full-on running away.

I go back inside, to find Izumo and Shiemi giggling. 

“Brilliant,” snickers Izumo. “All you have to do is flex a little and they’re all putty in your hands. Boys are so weak!”

“Well, against  _ me _ they are.” I grin and wink. 

“As thanks,” she decides, “I’m going to help you with your hair. You look like you got in a fight with an electric fan and lost.”

I’m surprised she would offer. But I smile gratefully and nod. “Do what you want with it,” I consent willingly. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

I wake up before everyone else, and, having nothing else to do, I decide to wander around the hospital for a little while. As I walk, I nearly bump into someone. “Good morning, Yukio,” I greet him. 

“Ah! Good morning, Suguro!”  _ It’s like he didn’t even see me…  _ “Were you able to get some rest?”

“Yeah. More or less.”

“What about the others?”

“Koneko and Takara are still sleeping. The girls are in another room, so I don’t know.”

He’s silent for a moment. “Look, about Shima, I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “I had to postpone it.”

“Eh… no, it’s okay,” I reassure him. “More importantly, how are you doing? I know how you and Shima… well,  _ liked _ each other, and I’m sure you wanted nothing more than to bring him home too.”

Yukio blushes a little, but doesn’t look away. “I’m fine,” he insists. “Nothing was official between us anyway, not like things are between you and Rin. So it’s not like I truly lost him like that, right?”

I have no choice but to agree. “Right. Listen, I want Renzo’s family to know what happened. Is it possible to talk directly with the head of the Shima family?”

“Right now, it might be difficult, but I can meet him and make sure to inform him later,” he promises. 

“Really? Thank you. Then, I’m going to see how the girls are doing.”

“Thanks. See you later,” he says, and we part ways. 

I’m about to knock on the girls’ door when I hear them talking. “Izumo?” Rin is saying worriedly. “What’s wrong?” I should leave. Now. But instead I turn and lean my back against the door, listening. 

Kamiki doesn’t answer for a moment. “I…” she finally says. “I have a little sister I was separated from. Her name was Tsukumo. For the last five years, I… always imagined the worst… but she was safe all along…” She sounds like she’s about to cry. “She looks happy, with a father and mother who look kind. And she’s becoming a lady… I’m truly, truly glad...! But she doesn’t remember me anymore!” Kamiki wails. She’s certainly crying now. “She was only three years old when we were separated. It can’t be helped… I know that, but… for five years, saving her was my only reason to live! I can’t accept that it was all for nothing! This is too cruel!” I almost feel sorry for her now. There’s a moment of silence as either Rin or Moriyama replies. “How could you possibly understand?!” Kamiki screams. “People like you two, always surrounded by your family, and grew up carefree… You don’t understand! This pitiful feeling…!” I think I hear a small sniffle, and I wonder whose it is. “Don’t cry!” Kamiki yells. “You always cry too easily!”  _ Moriyama, then? Rin doesn’t cry. _ “If I hurt you, you can talk back to me, you know?! It’s bad of me to be screaming wildly at you like this, so just say it! That’s what I hate about—” Something makes her stop. 

“I’m glad,” Moriyama says, still sniffling. 

“Nori came to see us off at the train station,” Rin tells Kamiki.  _ ‘Nori’? Does that mean Paku? _ “You know what she told us? She said she was leaving you to us. And that you told her you were jealous of me and Shiemi, of how free we were to cry, laugh, or get angry. She told us to take care of you. And that’s what we’re going to do.” 

“If you can cry, laugh, and get angry at us, Izumo,” sobs Moriyama, “I’m glad!

“Paku, that idiot!” Kamiki cries. Her voice sounds muffled. “What is she telling everyone?! When we go back, I’ll beat her up!”

Rin starts giggling. Followed by Moriyama, and then finally Kamiki. Soon they’re all laughing loudly and wholeheartedly, and they all, even Rin, sound like they’re crying. I shouldn’t be here. They all sound like they’re okay. I should leave, keep what they said to myself, and not risk getting found out. But I can’t bring myself to move yet. 

But a few seconds later, Konekomaru and Yukio arrive. “Good morning, Bon,” Koneko greets me. “We came to visit the girls.”

“Ahh… now’s not a good time,” I whisper, so they don’t hear me. “Come back later.”

“Huh? Why?! What happened?” Yukio demands. “Something better not have happened to my sister!” He tries to shove past me, but I stop him. The two of us wrestle for a few seconds. 

“You’re too noisy! Would you quiet down?!”

But suddenly the door slams open, and Rin is there, her sword ready to be unsheathed. Her long black hair is tangled, a state I’ve never seen it in before. Her eyes aren’t red and wet, but blue and dry, and I know she hasn’t been crying, confirming my suspicions that she isn’t a crier. She takes in the sight of us, and scowls. “Explanation.  _ Now _ .”

She knows that we were eavesdropping. Or, at least, I was. And she’s not happy. “I-I just wanted to check up on you girls!” I manage to stammer. “But I heard what was going on and didn’t want to disturb you, then Yukio and Konekomaru joined me a minute ago and tried to go in, but I stopped them, and we ended up fighting and making a racket. I’m sorry!” I bow in apology. 

But Rin bares her fangs. “Leave,” she growls. “ _ Now _ . Before I set fire to something you don’t want burned.”

“Yes, my esteemed princess!” 

“As you wish, Sister.”

“Okay, we’re leaving!” I usher Yukio and Konekomaru away quickly.  _ I really  _ don’t _ want to die today.  _

  
  


Rin’s POV:

Shiemi, Ryuuji, Konekomaru, Takara, Kuro, and I are sitting on the steps of the shrine, waiting for Izumo to pay her respects. 

My long hair rustles in the breeze, somehow tamed by Izumo, now as long and straight as it has always been. It took a  _ lot _ of work, though. If it had gone on any much longer than it already did, my scalp would have been torn off. I would have healed if it did, of course, but it still wouldn’t have been pleasant. 

Izumo appears at the top of the shrine after a few minutes. I notice her first. “You’re done?” I ask. “Then let’s go back.”

“Nori is waiting too,” says Shiemi. 

Izumo runs down to meet us and we all start making our way to the bottom of the steps. At least we have her back, but… “What are we going to do about Renzo?” I wonder aloud. “I even shouted at Mephisto that I’d bring him back…”

“Huh?! That’s right!” Izumo remembers. “Uke, Mike! You weren’t killed by Pink Head?!” she asks her summoned familiars. Izumo told me, as she worked on my rats’ nest of hair, that Renzo appeared to have killed Uke and Mike with his black flames. From the sounds of it, the confrontation took place when Yukio and the rest of us were at the front gate of the lab, and Mike was summoned. But, obviously, he let them live for some reason… 

“Ah. He most likely went easy on us so that we wouldn’t die. Even though it took us quite some time before we were able to move again.”

“What do you mean?” Izumo asks, but she’s interrupted by a new arrival. 

“Bon!” It’s Juuzo and Kinzo. 

“Juuzo!” Ryuuji greets him. 

“Father is busy right now, so we’ve come in his stead,” Juuzo informs Ryuuji, bowing alongside Kinzo. 

“That’s fine,” says Ryuuji, approaching them. “Where should I start… Renzo is…” But something in Juuzo’s eyes makes him stop. “Juuzo?” he asks cautiously. 

Juuzo doesn’t answer for a moment. Then: “Forgive us, Bon,” he says grimly. 

_ What? Forgive them? _ “C-could it be…” stammers Konekomaru in horror and understanding. 

“Konekomaru,” says Juuzo. “Renzo is our spy.”

_ Their spy? Then… _ “So… that means he’s a double spy?!” Ryuuji exclaims, on the verge of anger.  _ Oh, god… if that’s true…  _

“Exactly,” confirms Juuzo. “I’m sorry that we couldn’t tell you until now. But we had to keep the secret with as few people as possible in order to protect Renzo.”

“Protect? You guys knew about the Illuminati?! I saw it! Those guys don’t see other people as humans!” Ryuuji grabs the front of Juuzo’s robes. “If he’s found out, they won’t just kill him, they’ll make him sorry! Why did you get him into this?!”

“Of course we opposed it,” replies Juuzo calmly. “But Renzo strongly insisted.”

“What… did you say…?”

From there, Juuzo launches into a story about something that happened before this school year started. By the end of it, we’re all dumbstruck. 


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renzo returns, a certain VIP from the Vatican decides his fate, and the esquires have to decide whether they trust him or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As retribution for not updating yesterday as I should have, here is a second chapter today. It’s quite long, but I hope that, with this, you can all forgive my mistake.

Rin POV

“Good morning,” I yawn at my brother as I meet him at one of the dorm’s communal sinks. 

“Good morning,” he replies, washing his face. He reaches for a towel, blindly patting around the counter next to him, and I go ahead and give it to him. He rubs his face dry, then gropes around for his glasses. 

I hand him his glasses, reach for my toothbrush, and allow myself to get sucked into the mundaneness of a new school day, normal life resuming as if nothing had happened and everything is the same. 

But that’s not true. Everything is different.  _ Renzo’s a traitor, and for all I know, he’s never coming back. He might have been a bit of a pervert, but he was a good guy, for the most part. For goodness sake, he and Yukio had legitimate crushes on each other. No one would have suspected him. But maybe that was the point. He could blend in, even if he  _ does _ look like a clueless idiot, but that’s apparently just a facade. Behind the mask, though, who is he, really? _

I try to act normal in class. Listen to the teacher, take notes, talk to and laugh with Godaiin. As if I hadn’t just lost one of my friends. 

Cram school rolls around, and I can see everyone else is doing about as well as I am. I walk into a silent classroom, everyone too worked up or lost in thought to speak to one another. Ryuuji is just staring off into space. I bet I know what he’s thinking about. 

The story Juuzo told us was a strange one. 

_ Around this time last year, Renzo brought back a business card.  _

_ “Juuzo,” said Renzo, “do you know an organization called ‘Bright Future Organization’? A cute girl I met today gave this to me.” He handed the card to Juuzo. “She said that if I don’t have a part-time job, I can call them there! Honestly, don’t you think that’s suspicious? I’m a little worried about whether or not to call!” _

_ “I’ll be keeping this,” said Juuzo.  _

_ “Eh?” _

_ “Now, listen. That woman… if you see her again, stay away,” ordered Juuzo.  _

_ Juuzo asked members from the Order of the Knights, and apparently there exist thousands of secret societies and demonic groups. The members from the Order are always looking out for those. Whenever they’re asked, they make reports. Among those organizations, the ‘Bright Future Organization’ was a name they often heard about these past several years.  _

_ Juuzo had a meeting with Kinzo, his father, and Mephisto about it. “Renzo is still a child,” Yaozo stated bluntly. “To think they’d ask this of a child who isn’t even a member of the Order of the Knights… Aren’t there already measures taken from above?” _

_ “Of course,” Mephisto reassured him. “The Order of the Knights also sends spies, but this is a considerably huge structure. Other than its name, the ‘Illuminati,’ the inner structure of the organization is still a complete mystery. Not a single one was able to get that far. That’s the kind of place you want a foot in before starting a war with them. That’s the main problem, Section Chief Shima! The truth is, the reason I came all the way to Kyoto to visit is because I have a big favor to ask of you. The section chief’s son, Renzo Shima… I want him to work as a spy under my direct supervision!” _

_ “Huh?!” _

_ “Surely the Illuminati have a reason to ask him to join them,” Mephisto reasoned. “Renzo is the honzon of the Shima family, the one that was chosen by Yamantaka, the user of black flames. In terms of worth, black flames are ranked just below blue flames. Moreover, his admission to the exorcist cram school has already been decided. Once he becomes an exorcist, he’ll have no problem joining the order of the knights. He’s still young, so they would hardly suspect him, as long as they can get their hands on him before too long. You’d agree that he would become a very useful pawn for the Illuminati. On the other hand, this also holds true for us, the Order of the Knights. If it were him, there’s a chance that he’d reach the inner circle of the Illuminati someday. A spy is no more than a pawn.” _

_ “Please allow me to decline your request!” Yaozo begged. “Even as an order from the branch chief, this is something I can’t… He’s still an untrained child!” _

_ “Of course we won’t throw him in as he is now,” laughed Mephisto, “you know? We’ll train him as a spy.” _

_ “No, this isn’t the problem!” Yaozo protested. “Spies need to be ruthless and forsake their family and friends. How can someone make a fifteen-year-old child do such things?!” _

_ “Speaking of fifteen years old, it is young, but I think it is old enough to be an adult, don’t you?” Mephisto asked. “Sorry, I don’t know the feelings of a parent when they think of their children…” _

_ Yaozo was about to protest again, but was interrupted. “Is it okay if I do it?!” _

_ To everyone’s surprise, Kinzo dragged Renzo into the room, who had been eavesdropping. “Renzo!” _

_ “Ahahah…” laughed Renzo nervously. “It does seem interesting. I’m also interested in what’s up with that guy… Wah!” He yelped as Kinzo grabbed the back of his jacket and shook him.  _

_ “How long have you been there?!” Kinzo demanded.  _

_ “Eh… from the beginning…?” _

_ “What?!” _

_ “Hooo!” Mephisto breathed in amusement. “He says he’s been here from the start, and I didn’t notice him either. See, he might be suited for the job, even more than I expected, section chief Shima.” _

_ “Stop it, please!” _

_ “I think so too,” contributed Renzo.  _

_ “Don’t say careless things! I’m not playing around!” Yaozo scolded.  _

_ “No, this is serious talk,” Renzo agreed. “I want to take it on. I want to become independent as soon as possible! I want to see how far I can go with my power!” _

_ “Renzo… are you prepared to deceive even the people who you are close to?” _

_ Renzo’s reply was spine-chilling. “That’s my specialty,” he said with a grin. _

“Ryuuji,” I say gently, putting my hand on his shoulder. He jolts out of his trance. 

“Rin! Sorry. I was lost in thought,” he apologizes. 

“Thinking about him? About what Juuzo told us?” I guess. 

“Yeah. I just wonder if we’ll ever see him again,” he says sadly. 

“Of course we will,” Konekomaru optimistically pipes up from beside him. “And we’ll get everything cleared up, okay?”

“So stop being so depressed,” I advise, tickling Ryuuji’s cheek with the end of my tail playfully. “Cheer up!”

He gives a noncommittal grunt as he swats my tail away. I press a passing kiss to the top of his head as I walk behind him to go to my desk.

But a few minutes later, acting as if nothing had happened, in walks Renzo Shima himself. “Hello, everyone!” he greets us all cheerfully. “So Fujimoto hasn’t arrived yet, it seems? That’s a close call.” He slides into the seat next to mine, so we’re sharing a two-person desk. I’d rather sit next to Satan, honestly. “Good morning, Rin!” Renzo greets me cheerfully. Keeping my face emotionless, I don’t look at or even acknowledge him. 

“Everyone, sorry for the delay,” Dad greets us, hurrying in and heading for the teacher’s desk. “Now let’s take attendance!” He calls out everyone’s names, including Renzo’s, and class begins as usual. No one even mentions the elephant in the room: Renzo. 

I’m surprised at how little time it takes for him to snap. “Wait!” Renzo shouts, standing up. “Why is no one questioning this?! Shima the spy came back, see?!” I resist the urge to roll my eyes. He just wants attention, to be noticed and recognized.

“Yes, Shima, we can see that,” Dad comments nonchalantly. “Welcome back. Now please take your seat so we can resume the lesson.” I have to resist another urge, but this time it’s laughter. 

Ryuuji is the first to stand up, seething in anger. He actually looks kinda scary. “Eh?” Renzo asks in confusion. Ryuuji stomps over (I move out of the way quickly, so that he can talk to Renzo without me in the middle) and grabs Renzo by his collar, lifting him clear out of his seat. Renzo screams. “Please forgive me!” he begs. “This is not what was planned! I never thought I’d come back! I thought that this school life and my time with everyone would be over if I were found out… This is…”

There’s a  _ thump _ , but not as Ryuuji hits Renzo. Instead, he has pulled him into a hug. “So… you were still safe… moron!” But the hug only lasts a second. Ryuuji grabs Renzo’s collar again, shoving him away from himself. “Do you have any idea how much we worried about you?!” he demands. “I might forgive you, here and now, if you tell us your true intentions!”

“That’s right!” Izumo agrees.  _ This is rare.  _ “You pretended to kill Uke and Mike, but you let them live. You must have a good reason for that! Tell me!”

Renzo looks uncomfortable. “Ah, that’s because… The thing is, it’s troublesome. I mean… in other words, I suppose…” he looks Ryuuji in the eye. “You could call it the second rebellious phase.”

“Rebellious phase?!” Ryuuji lets go of Renzo’s collar in surprise. 

“Bon… is this reason enough for you to forgive me?”  _ Oh, he looks so hopeful… How adorable…  _

But I know it isn’t enough, even before Ryuuji headbutts him.  _ Hard. _ Renzo screams in pain.  _ I almost feel sorry for him, but honestly? What did he expect? To be welcomed back with open arms? For us to accept such a stupid reason and forgive him just like that? _ “How could I be satisfied with that worthless reason?!” Ryuuji demands. He’s still raging with hot-blooded anger, and for a moment, I think he’s going to kill him, and suddenly I remember his promise. 

“Wait, Ryuuji! You’re not going to kill him, are you? Don’t tell me you plan to die too!” I protest, putting my hand on his shoulder to hold him back. 

“Huh?! Who’s dying for that worthless liar?!” Ryuuji yells, hitting Renzo with an uppercut and sending him flying.  _ I guess  _ he _ isn’t dying for Renzo, then… _

“You won’t forgive me at all?!” As Renzo falls, Izumo, who is in the perfect position, sets her foxes on him. He lands on the floor, grunting in pain. But his torment isn’t over yet. Konekomaru, of all people, comes in with a large broom and sweeps him across the room like the trash he is. “This isn’t good…” he moans as Ryuuji, Konekomaru, and Izumo tower over him menacingly. “I’ll be killed… for real!”

I sigh.  _ This is getting ridiculous. I realize that they just want to teach him a lesson, but at this rate, they’ll just end up sinking to his level. _ “I guess it can’t be helped,” I groan in exasperation, kneeling down next to my fallen classmate. “Renzo, just this one time, I’ll save you.”

“R-Rin!” Renzo cries happily. “You are a goddess!”

“Don’t take this as an act of kindness,” I snap. And I am anything  _ but _ a goddess. “This is based off pity, nothing more. Now… First, do you consent to only be in your undergarments?” I ask unceremoniously. There really is no polite way to say it. This is the only way. 

“Huh?” His eyes widen, like he can’t believe what he’s hearing and is still deciding whether or not I’m joking. 

“They say when you’re left in only your undergarments, everyone’s feelings settle down, since you’ve got less to hide,” I explain as I summon my flames and point at him with my hands positioned in finger guns, getting ready. 

“W-what are you talking about?!” Renzo cries. “Rin, stop!” But it’s too late. I’ve already started burning his clothes. He screams, his voice hitting a pitch I didn’t know was possible for him, but by the time he’s done, he’s already wearing nothing but a white tank top and boxers. My job done, I stand up and walk away. 

“He’s all yours, everyone,” I announce as I head back to my seat, relinquishing all responsibility for whatever is going to happen next. I will have no more part in this, whether defending  _ or _ attacking him. Part of what I did was to settle everyone’s feelings by putting Renzo in a vulnerable position, but part of it was my own revenge as well. He won’t get away with hurting my little brother. 

“Now now, everyone,” scolds a familiar voice, as a familiar little dog walks in. “Please don’t bully Shima any further.” He transforms in a puff of smoke, tipping his ridiculous top hat in greeting. 

“But it was just getting good,” complains Dad. “Didn’t you even see how  _ well _ Rin controlled herself?” Only now do I realize he didn’t do anything to stop us from tormenting Renzo.  _ Some teacher  _ he _ is.  _

“You are a horrible teacher,” accuses Renzo, hissing at my dad. 

“Mephisto?” I greet our headmaster in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” Izumo asks. 

“Long time no see, everyone,” he grins. “Have you been dying to see me?”  _ Of course I haven’t. Any day without seeing or hearing from Mephisto is usually a good day for me. _ No one else answers his question, though, which assures me that we’re all on the same page. “Anyway,” continues Mephisto, “I must return with you immediately, or I’ll be making a troublesome guest from the Vatican wait.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eins… zwei… drei!” Mephisto snaps his fingers without any further explanation. 

I blink, and we’re somewhere else, Renzo now being properly clothed again. Dad isn’t with us. “Eh?!” Izumo exclaims. 

“Where are we?!” Konekomaru asks, on the verge of panicking. 

_ Honestly, though, I shouldn’t have expected anything different from Samael, the King of Time. _ “Johann Faust’s mansion,” replies Mephisto. “We’re in my office.”

“Hello, everyone,” a familiar voice greets us from the front of the office, and I look around to see Yukio. “So you were all summoned too, huh?”

“I guess,” I answer. “Any idea what this is about, Four-Eyes?”

“Wow!” interrupts an overly excited voice behind us. “Your abilities are always so dramatic, Sir Pheles! It’s just like magic.” We all turn around, and see a man standing there. His hair is messy under his brimmed hat, and is so long that it covers his eyes.  _ Is that the guy from the Vatican? _ I wonder. “Hi,” he says, grinning. “I’m Lewin Light. Nice to meet you all!”

“Light!” Izumo gasps in utter surprise, at the same time as Ryuuji exclaims, “Lightning?!”

_ They know him? _ “Who is he?” I ask Izumo. 

“He’s an arc knight and the paladin’s right-hand man!” Suddenly, I vaguely remember my dad talking about him once. From what he said, Lewin Light is very strong. “In other words, he’s ranked second in the Order of the Knights…” says Izumo. 

“He’s an expert in chants and summoning ceremonies,” continues Ryuuji. “He’s called ‘Lightning.’”

“He doesn’t  _ look _ that amazing,” I comment skeptically, examining the disheveled man. He really doesn’t look like much. In fact, his appearance leaves a lot to be desired. I mean, he’s so… messy. He’s not even wearing a proper uniform, his clothes are wrinkled, and don’t even get me  _ started _ on that stench. Which, by the way, I can smell from all the way across the room. Dad never mentioned anything like this when he talked about Lightning. 

“You flatter me,” giggles Lewin Light, rubbing the back of his head bashfully.

“So, Fujimoto and the Grigori are faring well,” says Mephisto, changing the subject. 

“Yeah,” says Light. “Thanks for your concern!” He takes off his hat and scratches his head. I swear I can see dust, dirt, and possibly fleas flying out.  _ He’s filthy! _ I know everyone else is thinking it. “Thanks to Fujimoto, the Grigori practically went unscathed as well!” Suddenly his eyes are fixed upon me. “Ah!” Light says in recognition. Suddenly he’s right up in my face. “Uwaaa! Are you Rin Okumura, the one who inherited the blood of Satan?!” he asks excitedly, almost like he’s a child who just received a large allowance and has been given permission to spend every last yen of it in his favorite candy shop. 

“Huh?!”  _ Too close! This guy is too close! _

“I’ve always wanted to meet you! Fujimoto told me about how he raised you and your brother! I got so jealous!” No matter how far I try to get away without appearing rude, he always gets closer. “Ehh—! That’s amazing! You have no aura at all! Just like an ordinary teen!”

“Huh?!”  _ What’s he talking about?! Aura?! Ordinary teen?! _ I don’t exactly…  _ dislike _ the guy, since, I guess, he seems to like demons (or is at least fascinated by us), but I want him to get away from me. Fortunately, Ryuuji, Yukio, and Mephisto ensure just that. Leave it to my boyfriend, twin, and… well,  _ technically  _ Mephisto is my older brother… 

“I think now would be a very good time for you to get away from Rin,” says Ryuuji as calmly as possible, pulling me away from Lightning and positioning his body between us as a shield. “Don’t you see how uncomfortable you’re making her?”

Amusement and realization flash in Lightning’s eyes. “Ooh! Are you two an item? Fascinating! I thought I heard something from Fujimoto about a boyfriend!”

Meanwhile, Yukio wraps his arms possessively around me from behind. “Who do you think you are to harass my sister?” he demands, growling. 

“Ah, so you’re Yukio!” Lightning gasps happily. “Fujimoto talks about you all the time, he’s so proud of you! From what I hear, you’re the youngest person ever to become an exorcist! You were thirteen at the time, right?” Yukio stiffens, and in his shock he drops his arms, freeing me. He’s too flabbergasted to speak. So am I.  _ What’s with this guy…? _

“Lightning, it’s about time we get to the reason you’re here,” suggests Mephisto boredly, finally shifting the attention from me, Yukio, and Ryuuji. 

“That’s right,” he agrees reluctantly, finally backing off. “Sorry, sorry. Well then, everyone, take a seat.” We all obey wordlessly, and he begins. “You’re Renzo Shima, the one who succeeded in becoming a spy for the Illuminati, right?” Lightning asks Renzo. “I must hand it to you and Sir Pheles. Well done.”

“Right,” says Renzo nervously. He looks like he’s on the chopping block, with an axe poised over his neck. 

“The Order of the Knights had always wanted to get inside information from the Illuminati. But, Sir Pheles isn’t trusted by the higher-ups…” All eyes shift to Mephisto expectantly. 

“That’s truly regrettable,” he says, shaking his head in disappointment.  _ That’s all he has to say? Really? It’s ‘regrettable’? _

“So,” continues Lightning, “I came here to determine whether or not Shima can be trusted.”

“Trusted…?” Ryuuji, Shiemi, Izumo, Yukio, and I repeat in unison, slowly. 

“If we can’t trust him, what will happen to Shima?” Konekomaru asks hesitantly. He knows he doesn’t want to know the answer. None of us want to know. But Lightning gives the answer to us anyway. 

“It will call for torture, then,” he says calmly. His words sink in, and Renzo lets out a little squeak of terror. The rest of us are in shock. “But I’d rather not do this,” Lightning reassures us. “That’s why I had you guys come here, to verify this from as many sides as I can, you see? First then, Shima, a question for you! How were you able to come back to the Order of the Knights?”

Renzo starts sweating. “Ah! Right! Hm, you see…” He tells us the story. 

_ “You, return to the True Cross Order of the Knights,” ordered the female officer.  _

_ “Huh?!” Renzo gasped in surprise.  _

_ “These are instructions from the commander,” the officer continued. “Get ready right away.” _

_ “W… wait! Please!” Renzo begged. “You don’t mean… If I return to the Order right now, I’ll get caught… I think they’ll give me a hard time, so…” _

_ “Is that so?” the officer asked coldly. “That shouldn’t be the case. Right?” _

_ “Eh… hm…” stammered Renzo.  _

_ “The Order would want information about us as well,” she continued. “They’ll gain nothing from imprisoning or punishing you. On the contrary, as a double spy, you should be warmly welcomed for your work.” _

_ “Ah, I see. But I won’t be trusted by my cram school classmates anymore…” _

_ “I don’t care. You were found out because you were careless.” _

_ “But how should I have known such a nuisance would…” _

_ “If you can’t spy inside the Order of the Knights, you are of no use to us. Do your best to deceive them with that forked tongue of yours. If you can’t do it, then it’s over.” _

“In short,” says Lightning, bringing us back to reality, “this means that you’ve been recognized as a spy by both the Order and the Illuminati?”

Renzo laughs nervously. “But in truth, I’m not sure whether I’m trusted by the Illuminati as well…”

“It’s alright, I tell you,” Light reassures him. “It will work, it will work! They haven’t even tried to kill you yet! You must be a great asset to them. Believe me!”

“Then,” decides Mephisto, “how we’ll use him is what we’re here to discuss. If we use him well, we may be able to get the advantage over the Illuminati.”

“Right,” Lightning agrees. “But as I said, whether we can trust Shima is the first and foremost thing.”

“Tch, it’s just like you say.”

“Right?! As I thought, Sir Pheles, we’re on the same page!”

“Indeed,” says Yukio, “if Shima were to betray us, there’s a possibility that we could be misled by the information he’s giving us. We must make it clear…”

“That’s why I want to ask,” Lightning continues, addressing everyone. “From your point of view, is he a man you can trust?” For a few seconds, no one says a word. “Hm? You guys are close to him, right?”

Finally, I am the one who speaks first. “Why  _ should _ we trust him? He betrayed, abandoned, and hurt his friends. And he didn’t show even an ounce of remorse while doing it.”

Shock resonates throughout the room. “Rin!” Ryuuji gasps in surprise. 

“Well, well!” Mephisto says, smirking in amusement. “That’s not like you. You would usually shout ‘Shima is our comrade!’ or something like that, right?”

“You’re wrong!” I snap at him, turning around. “That’s  _ you _ !”

“Me?!” Mephisto cries, shocked that I’d suggest such a thing. But it’s true. 

“It’s because  _ you’re _ not trusted that Renzo is suspected in the first place! He’s  _ your _ spy, after all! Don’t go and say he’s a traitor or whatever, Mephisto! Or should I call you Samael?! No wonder no one has the gall to trust you, you demon king! Who knows if you’re actually an ally of Lucifer, or even Satan?!” I haven’t released my flames yet, but they’re getting very close. 

“She’s got a point,” says Izumo, agreeing with me. “I’m thankful to Sir Pheles for keeping my little sister safe. But why wasn’t I informed?! If I knew when I was enrolled in the school, I would have…”

“So this argument has completely shifted to me…” says Mephisto defensively, as if he should be innocent. 

“That’s not all!” Izumo shouts. She points at Renzo. “This guy said he was enrolled by Todou! If that’s true, then he must have known that Todou was a traitor before the Left Eye of the Impure King was stolen!”

“You’re right,” agrees Mephisto, confirming her theory. “I knew that as well.”  _ What?! _ “In the end, it somehow wronged the Kyoto branch and the people who died, I’ll admit.”

“Then what was that fight for?!” Ryuuji demands. 

“From the start,” adds Yukio, “Sir Pheles has been suspicious in every way. The possibility that Amaimon and Neuhaus’s attacks were set up by Sir Pheles is high. I can only tell you this now, but during our first class, I was supposed to create a disturbance using hobgoblins under Sir Pheles’s orders to test my sister’s abilities.”

_ He was… supposed to…  _ “What?! Yukio!”

“But you didn’t react to my being your teacher as I thought you would, Rin,” he says, his blue eyes meeting mine. “To my surprise, you stayed in your seat, without giving me a chance to pretend to ‘accidentally’ knock over the phial of blood I had prepared that would summon the hobgoblins. So I agreed to let you come with me on my mission at Shiemi’s house the next day, to do as Sir Pheles ordered.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?!” I demand. 

“And moreover,” my brother continues, ignoring me now and addressing Mephisto almost angrily, “the biggest mystery is, why did you spare the life of and raise the illegitimate daughter of Satan?”

Mephisto is silent for a moment. He just grins, flashing his fangs. Then he starts chuckling. “Everyone, it seems you’ve finally started to wrap your heads around things,” he chuckles in amusement. “But why are you telling me this only now? Indeed, it is as you said. I was influential in each of your trials. For the plan I set up for each of you, I won’t allow a single move to fail. “You,” he points at Yukio, “and you,” Renzo, “and you,” Ryuuji, “and you,” Izumo, “and you,” Shiemi, “and you,” Konekomaru. “This one too,” Takara. “Of course, you most of all.” He points at me last.  _ Why would he not? _ “To me, you are all precious pieces that I cannot afford to be missing. And I am the player who moves the pieces.”

At first, I’m surprised that he would admit something like this. But then what he said really hits me. “So… you mean… we’re your  _ toys _ ?! This whole thing is just a  _ game _ to you?! Is that it?!”

“It means that no matter what, I am not your enemy,” Mephisto replies calmly. “Isn’t that fact alone more than enough?”

I was trying to remain under control, but I can’t anymore. My flames explode over my body. “What makes you think that’s enough?!” I yell. “What do you think people  _ are _ ?!” I slam my flaming hands down on Mephisto’s desk, careful not to burn it (yet). 

“Rin!” Yukio is suddenly behind me, his arms around my waist as he tries to pull me away from Mephisto. He’s not strong enough, though, now that I’m fired up and pissed off. It’s going to take a lot more than my twin to hold me back, even if he  _ is _ larger than I am. I’ve always been the stronger sibling. 

“You jerk! You’re the  _ real _ traitor!” I scream at Mephisto, paying my brother no mind. 

“You have no idea how foolish it is to bare your fangs at me,” says Mephisto seriously. “Step back!”

“Shut up,” I growl, literally spitting blue fire. “Why should I do as you say?”

“That’s obvious,” Mephisto replies, scowling as if I’m asking a stupid question like what color my flames are. “To win against Lucifer.”

Suddenly there’s the impact of something hard slamming into my stomach, and I find myself flying across the room. I hit the wall next to the door and crumple to the ground, coughing. “Rin!” Ryuuji runs to my side to help me up.  _ That hurt! _ I think as I clutch my abdomen.  _ What just happened?! _

There’s a strange and dangerous aura around Mephisto now. “Being at the mercy of greater beings like myself,” he growls threateningly, “is just fine for worm-like beings such as yourselves. ‘If you don’t like it, then why don’t you try showing me just how much you’ve grown’?”

My eyes widen. My dad said those exact words to me, on the day he was possessed by Satan, just before I left to go to a job interview.  _ Mephisto used Shiro Fujimoto’s words?! _ I scowl and grit my teeth. “How dare you…”  _ He’s horrible! Is he actually trying to make me even more angry than I already am?! _

“Alright,” says Lightning, standing in front of me with his arm out, as if to keep me from physically attacking Mephisto again. “Let’s not go any further than this! This is beside the point. Though I truly understand why Sir Pheles isn’t trusted at all, even here.” He bursts into laughter. “So you’re telling me that you have zero trust in Shima too. Is that right?”

“Wai… wait, please!” Renzo begs Lightning desperately. “Give me a chance to defend myself too!”

The next few seconds of silence are probably the most terrifying for Renzo. He probably has no idea what we’re going to say now. In the meantime, everyone just stares at him. Finally, Ryuuji speaks. “I trust him.”

_ He does? _ I wonder in disbelief, looking up at him. But his eyes, no matter what he says, are filled with doubt. And I realize that he doesn’t trust Renzo at all. He just doesn’t want one of his oldest friends to go through whatever the Vatican, or Lightning, has planned for him. 

“Me too!” Konekomaru pipes up. “The Shima I know, I believe him!”

“Miwa is not wrong!” Shiemi insists. “He’s a very good judge of character!”

“I suppose he’s not a bad guy,” adds Izumo, “even though he’s worthless.”

Takara is silent, but I think we can probably take his lack of response as agreement. Right?

“Renzo is our comrade,” I agree, playing along so I’m not the one who disagrees. “We’re not letting him get tortured!” I still don’t trust him in the slightest, though. He was our friend, and he betrayed us all, spitting on our friendship like it was nothing to him. And that’s putting it mildly. 

“I see,” says Lightning with that little smirk on his face. “Well, then, I guess it’s about time for me to leave.”

Everyone else, including Mephisto, is surprised to hear this. “Could it be that you’re going to let him go?” our headmaster inquires. 

“Yes. That was my intention from the start.”

“From the start?!”

“And for a while, at least.” Lightning puts on his hat, heading for the door. “Compared to Angel and the other higher-ups, I’m a little different. So that this matter with Shima doesn’t spread any further, I’ll send a confidentiality agreement to everyone later. So, look forward to that!” With those last words, Lightning is gone. 

I stare at the door where Lightning has disappeared through. “So Renzo…” I begin slowly. 

“He seems to have avoided torture somehow,” says Mephisto. 

My classmates and I breathe a collective sigh of relief. Renzo’s going to be okay for now. That doesn’t stop him from being a traitor, or dispute the fact that we don’t trust him, but still.  _ Oh, yeah, speaking of not trusting people… _ I turn my gaze to Mephisto. “Anyway, back to what I was saying earlier,” I continue, making sure he sees my angry glare as I begin to stomp toward him. But he cuts me off. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he says flippantly, “let’s continue this conversation another time.” Mephisto snaps his fingers again, teleporting us to another destination. 

We’re all outside the mansion. The only ones not here are Mephisto, Yukio, and Renzo. 

“STUPID CLOWN!” I scream in frustration. I hope he heard me. But I don’t think it would matter if he did. I shake my head and sigh. “Whatever,” I mutter, giving up. I’ll talk to him next time. 

“Let’s just all go home and clear our heads,” Ryuuji suggests. 

“Sure,” says Izumo tiredly. “I want to think this over too. This is rare, but I agree with you.”

“Shima… will come back to school and cram school, right?” Shiemi asks timidly. “Then everyone will get along like before!”

_ Get along like before? With that  _ traitor _? There’s no way that could happen now! _ “Moriyama…” whispers Konekomaru. 

“Shiemi,” I cut in. I don’t want to be the one to tell her this, but if no one else will, I have to. “It’s never going to be like before with Renzo. I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that we don’t trust him.”

“The only reason we said those things back there was to save him,” adds Ryuuji. “There’s no way we can trust him after everything he’s done.”

“Bon…”

“Konekomaru… will you really be able to trust that guy again?” Ryuuji asks. 

“I… I…”

“I don’t know anymore.” Ryuuji turns around and starts heading back to his dorm. 

“Bon!” Konekomaru calls, running after him. “Wait, please!”

As we watch them leave, Izumo spits in disgust. “Tch! It’s all that worthless guy’s fault!”

“I don’t want things to be like that,” says Shiemi sadly. 

“Me neither,” I admit. I do want us to all be friends again, but what Renzo is doing right now, I don’t think it’ll be possible.

A moment passes before Izumo speaks again. “This is rare, but I agree with you as well.”

  
  


Yukio POV

My sister and the rest of her classmates disappear, leaving only Shima and myself with Sir Pheles, who breathes a sigh of relief. 

“It seems like we got through this somehow,” says Sir Pheles, relaxing a little. “You know, I’m pretty bad with this Lightning guy.”

“And what about us?” I ask, curious. 

“I still have things to discuss with the both of you,” replies Sir Pheles. “However, to keep a distance like that, they hit it where it hurts.” He sounds somewhat amused. “And they’ll fearlessly confront you. These kinds of people are hard to come by. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, they are,” agrees Shima, staring out the window at where Sir Pheles probably zapped Rin and the rest of the cram school students. “That’s the one thing I know best.”

_ Huh? _ Sir Pheles chuckles. “Is that so? Well then, Okumura,” he says, turning his attention to me, “can I leave you with the task of informing Ms. Kirigakure of the matter we just discussed?”

_ So he kept me here to be his errand boy. _ “Yes,” I agree, because I must.

Shima follows me outside, where we are alone. “Haa!” he exhales loudly. “It feels like the absolution went down alright, but that drained me!” And no wonder, after what he put everyone else through. 

“Thanks for your hard work,” I tell Shima, looking over my shoulder at him. “I’ll be going now.” I begin to walk away. 

“Ah! I almost forgot!” Shima exclaims. “Yukio, you met the commander, right?” I stop dead in my tracks.  _ What did he say? How could he possibly know about that? And why would he bring it up? _ I turn very slowly to face him again, but he takes my lack of verbal response as a ‘no.’ “Huh? I’m sure I heard that you met him. Am I wrong? You know, he’s whitish, he looks weak and gentle, but he’s the King of Light, Lucifer.”

I decide to play ignorant for the moment. “What are you talking about?” I ask. 

“There you go again! Lucifer went to give you a message in person. It seems that he wanted you to be reminded. ‘If you want to be saved, I will welcome you at any time,’ he said.” 

Suddenly it’s like I’m no longer in front of Shima, on the steps of Sir Pheles’ mansion. Instead, I’m in the middle of reliving a memory, triggered by Shima’s words. 

_ “Can you go and confirm for me what has become of the others?” I asked Miwa. I was trapped in that little room with the zombie after we fell, and I just defeated it. Miwa found me a few moments ago and decided to check in. “I’ll think of a way out on my own.” _

_ “Got it!” Miwa disappeared again from the vent in the ceiling.  _

If Miwa was able to get out on his own,  _ I thought,  _ then maybe Shiemi and Suguro have too. If that’s the case, then we’re okay, but… Rin should have no problem getting out by burning down these walls. If only she would use her flames…  _ I remembered that my sister had wanted to save the zombies’ hosts by exorcising the demons inside, but that would have been impossible. Our best bet, as I told her, would be to put them to rest. After all, they’d never regain their humanity after this. This was not the place to waste time being troubled about such things. But when I told her to decide, she hesitated for a moment.  _ Why is she always like that?  _ I wondered.  _

_ Suddenly there was an explosion of blinding light. Instinctively, I shut my eyes, holding an arm out in front of my face.  _ What is that? _ I wondered. I slowly opened my eyes, and couldn’t believe it when I recognized the figure forming.  _

_ I couldn’t help but gape at the person in front of me. Lucifer. I probably resembled a fish out of water with how much my mouth was flapping open and closed.  _

_ “‘Nice to meet you’ would be more appropriate, don’t you think, Yukio Okumura?” the demon in front of me asked. Then he coughed. “I am the King of Light, Lucifer. I’ve heard a lot about you from Todou. I wanted to try and meet you at least once.” He started moving forward, and I flinched back involuntarily. I didn’t like him at all. “It’s alright,” Lucifer tried to reassure me. “I won’t hurt you.” _

_ But he was making me nothing if not nervous. “Stay back!” I shouted, pointing my gun at him. Suddenly the pistol was burning beneath my fingers. I dropped it with a shout. “It’s hot!” _

_ Lucifer kept moving forward, and I kept moving back. I bumped up against the wall behind me. Lucifer lifted his hands up when he was close enough and grabbed my face, almost like a caress. He leaned his face very close to mine, as if he were going to kiss me, but didn’t. Instead, he stared deep into my eyes.  _

_ “I see,” he said, understandingly. “It’s like Todou said. As I thought, you’re interesting.” I realized that he was talking about my eye, and the thing it was able to do. It was almost a satanic power, but even I still don’t understand how that’s possible.  _ I might be a child of Satan, but I’m completely human. Unlike Rin, I didn’t inherit the blue flames. So what is this power I have? Why does blue fire emit from my left eye and shield me like that?  _ “I want it,” admitted Lucifer unabashedly. “You are welcome in the Illuminati.” _

_ I pushed his hands away. “Don’t make fun of me!” I shouted, sinking to the ground.  _

_ “But, as things are now, it’s dangerous,” continued Lucifer, as if I had said nothing. “Nothing is protecting you. If, by any chance, the True Cross Order finds out about your eyes, you’ll be held in confinement as a research subject. Or worse, you’ll be executed. You’re weak.” Suddenly there was an explosion of blue flames, surprisingly not hot. Rin had used them to free everyone else. Lucifer disappeared, but without saying one last thing. “We’re retreating, so I’ll leave it at that for today. I don’t want to force you. But please make sure to remember this, at least. I can grant you power. I can awaken your latent power and potential. Don’t you want to know the truth about the mysteries behind those eyes and the secrets of your hidden birth? These truths are what will grant you power. I want to save you.” _

_ What was all this nonsense he was spouting? And even if it was true… I ground my teeth together and narrowed my eyes into a scowl. “I don’t need it!” _

_ But he just smiled knowingly. “As one would expect. Still, we’ll have the chance to meet again. Your heart, too, isn’t very strong.” With that, he disappeared in a flash of white light.  _

“Yukio?” I’m brought back to the present by Shima’s voice. He’s looking at me very oddly. “Are you alright? That’s a really scary face, so…” He trails off, not finishing his sentence. “Ah, sorry,” he apologizes, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “That’s somehow my fault. I’m in a bind since I have to work for that side too!”

The sooner he leaves me alone, the better. “‘I don’t need it.’ Please tell him that,” I say as coldly as possible. I don’t need them trying to recruit me again. I have too many other things to deal with right now to worry about that. 

“Understood,” says Shima nervously, sweating a little. “And, well, please don’t take this so seriously. See ya!” He turns away, waving over his shoulder. 

“Shima,” I say, stopping him. As much as I don’t want to talk to him anymore, I have one more question I need answered. 

“Yes?”

“You really are an ally of the True Cross Order, right?”

He pauses only a moment before answering. “Isn’t it obvious? And because I’m an ally, I could give you that advice. You know, the same could be said to you. Shouldn’t you consult someone about this matter?”  _ Consult someone? Does Shima know about my eye? _ “I am on neutral ground, after all,” he says, casually putting his hands behind his head, “so I can’t do anything more than give you advice, alright?”

I sigh in exasperation.  _ Of course.  _ “Whatever,” I mutter. 

“Oh, and one more thing, while I’m thinking about it,” he remembers. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to put our relationship on hold, my darling. Rin will probably kill me if I break your heart, so I don’t want to chance that if I have to go back to the Illuminati.”

I almost yell at him, and tell him that any chance of us dating is gone because he betrayed us, but then bite my tongue. Because there’s still a part of me that likes him that way, even if what he did was deplorable. So I just scoff. “Tch! Let me know when you’re done working for the Illuminati. Then we can talk.”

Shima grins. “Thanks, babe!” Before I can react, his arms are around my neck and his lips are pressing a kiss to my cheek. Then he’s gone. I find that I’m shaking. This whole thing is difficult enough to deal with already, but just now, I was reminded how disturbing it is for me as well, both the thing with my eyes and my relationship, whatever the status is on that, with Shima. 

My mind slowly returns to the fact that he knows about the condition of my eye.  _ How did he find out? And how am I going to tell my sister about this?  _ Am _ I going to tell my sister about this? What should I do? Who should I talk to, if anyone? _ I press my hand over my eyes, trying not to think about it. “Why me…?” 

  
  


Ryuuji POV:

Early in the morning, I go for a run, as has become my routine every day. Music blares in my headphones as I jog through the cold morning air. It isn’t long before I come across a familiar but unexpected face. 

“This is unexpected,” I say, pulling one of my earbuds out. “To see you this early in the morning, that is.”

“You don’t say…” Shima is sweating and shaking nervously. All of a sudden, he seems to get a little bit of his confidence back, and starts stretching his arms out. “I thought I’d need to test my physical strength if I want to do this spy thing from now on. Aren’t you out a bit early too, Bon?”

“I run almost every morning. And I’m going to continue running,” I say as I replace my earbud and keep going. I don’t want to deal with him right now. I don’t think  _ anyone  _ wants to deal with him right now. 

But Shima follows me. “Bon… thank you very much for what you did! For giving me your trust!” He grins and winks. 

For some reason, that pisses me off. I yell in frustration and run faster. “Like I care! If you’re free enough to thank me, go say that to the others!” Everything about him is annoying right now, but… I sigh.  _ Calm down, Ryuuji,  _ I tell myself.  _ He’s not worth it. _ “Go. Do whatever you want. I won’t say anything else.”

I can’t see his face, but when he answers me, it sounds like he’s smiling. “Bon! I found the thing I want to do. There are no more ties and no more bothersome things. I found the world in which I can live freely!” Suddenly he’s next to me. “I don’t know if I can make you understand, but that’s really all there is to it! Please believe me!”

“And that’s being a spy?!”

“Yes!” He’s practically sparkling with excitement. 

“That’s insane!”  _ Seriously?! Being a spy is enabling him to live freely?! That’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard! _

“So very sorry,” he apologizes sheepishly. “But I think being a spy suits me well, you know.”

I suddenly realize that there’s nothing I can do to dissuade him. And I think I can, for a moment, at least, admit that being a spy  _ does _ suit him, to a degree. But I want to know something. “It’s something you’ve decided for yourself, right?” I ask, calmer. 

“Right,” he confirms. 

“Is it fun?”

“Yeah. It’s insanely fun!” Shima grins. 

I can’t believe the fact that these next words come out of my mouth. “I see. So you found it, huh?” I slow to a stop, and Shima passes me. He stops too, and looks at me questioningly as I take out one earbud. 

“Eh?”

“Nothing. I got it now. I don’t trust you at all, but go for it.” I realize now that I don’t care what he does. _Spy or not, if he seems happy, who am I to have an opinion on it? He’s valuable to both sides, but that can be a double-edged sword. People will get hurt or be helped because of him, whether they’re from the Illuminati or from the Order._

Shima smiles. “Thank you very much.” His gratitude is almost believable. 


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shura takes the esquires to a public bathhouse. Awkward chaos ensues because Renzo is a pervy bi spy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have to admit, I really loved doing this chapter. It was fun to write, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Rin POV

“Hey, you know the place where people leave their oversized garbage?” I ask Yukio when I find him in our dorm room. I’d been walking past that place earlier today, and found something worth taking. “There was a kotatsu that still seemed usable, so I thought that, even if I take it, no one will mind, right? So I went ahead and brought it back with me.” A kotatsu would be perfect for winter, and it’s almost cold enough for it already. I left the kotatsu in the room next door, since it needs a little maintenance before we can use it and it’ll be easy to store it there until it does get too cold. 

My brother just gives me a blank look, his blue eyes uncomprehending behind his glasses. “Huh?”

“It’s become colder recently, you see,” I explain. “This room was boiling in the summer, remember? With no AC, it’s only natural to assume we don’t have heating either. So to be comfortable in the winter, we should…”

“Do as you please,” he interrupts, grabbing his things and heading toward the door. “I’m going out. I’ll be home late, so I won’t need dinner.” Yukio slams the door behind him. 

_ What was that?  _ “What’s he all tense about?” I wonder aloud. 

“ _ Yukio always works too hard, _ ” Kuro yawns in my head. 

“Yeah…” I agree. Kuro’s right. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yukio already has a few gray hairs. He has so much on his mind, so much to do. My poor overworked brother needs to relax soon. 

But, be that as it may, something is clearly bothering him. Something  _ big _ . And I don’t know what it is.  _ Is it Renzo? Is it his job? Is it school? Or could it possibly be something else that I’m not aware of? _ But whatever it is, if Yukio wants to talk to me about it, he will. 

My phone rings, and the caller ID tells me that it’s Yukio’s number, so I pick up. “Hello?”

“Hi, Rin!” Shura greets me cheerfully from the other side. 

“Shura!”  _ I thought she was in the hospital! _ I heard she was put there after the Illuminati kidnapped Izumo. She was injured in the battle with the middle class demons that got through Mephisto’s barriers, the ones who were there because of Lucifer. “How are you doing? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine!” she reassures me. “I’ll be released from the hospital soon. Can you ask your cram school classmates if they’re free tomorrow for me?”

“Yeah, no problem! But… may I ask what this is for?”

“Well,” giggles Shura secretively, “let’s just say I wanna take you kids somewhere special.”

In the background, I hear my brother’s muffled voice screaming, “Let go, cow breast!” Then the line goes dead. 

I stare at my phone in confusion for a few seconds. ‘Cow breast’?  _ What was all that about? Well, at least that explains why it was Yukio’s phone instead of Shura’s. _ Putting that out of my mind, I text everyone, relaying Shura’s message and leaving out my brother’s muffled comment of distress. 

“How nice!” Shura cheerfully chirps, as all of us stand outside the building. She has my unhappy brother’s head underneath her arm, pressed against the side of her breast. “An all-day bath reservation! It’s the best!”

“How nostalgic!” I comment, grinning as I gaze at the familiar bathhouse. “We came here a lot when we were kids! This place is very fun!”

Shura and Dad are accompanying me, Yukio, Shiemi, Izumo, Koneko, Ryuuji, and Renzo to a public bathhouse. Takara decided not to participate when he heard where we were going. He didn’t even give us a reason, but I think I can guess why. With his… features, he probably wouldn’t be comfortable bathing with other people. 

Dad decided to come since we apparently ‘need an adult chaperone’ according to him. When he told me this, I immediately pointed at Yukio and said we already had one.

Shura, Shiemi, Izumo, and I, when we head over to the women’s side, are greeted by the locker room, where we’re meant to get undressed to go into the enormous bathing area. 

But Shiemi immediately blushes, before anyone has a chance to undo a single button. “Ah… It’s alright if we all go in together, right?”

_ What’s she talking about? _ “Huh? What do you mean?” I ask. 

“Well… Rin… aren’t you and Izumo shy?” Shiemi says timidly. 

_ Shy? _ Suddenly I remember, all those months ago, that that’s what I told everyone at the dorm training camp. I wonder if Izumo told her the same thing, which might explain why Shiemi was outside waiting for her and Nori to finish bathing. “Oh… Shiemi, please don’t tell me you actually still  _ believe  _ that lie… I just said that because no one knew about my tail yet…”

“Of course it’s alright!” Izumo snaps. “Whatever happened long ago, forget about it!”

Shiemi blushes and smiles adorably. “Alright!”

When we’re done undressing, we go into the bathing area, and I smile nostalgically again. “It’s just as beautiful as I remember,” I murmur fondly. Dad didn’t take me and Yukio here when we were little, since he couldn’t bring me into the men’s side. But once I was old enough to wash myself unsupervised, we’d come here a few times every year as a treat. 

“Amazing!” Shiemi gasps in awe. “There are so many baths! There’s even a waterfall!” We eventually decide on a jacuzzi and settle in beside each other. 

“This feels amazing,” I moan happily. “I don’t think I’ve had an actual bath since I was human…” I sink deeper into the water, closing my eyes and enjoying the feeling of being almost entirely submerged. And this feels great on my tail. I can feel my short fur loosening up in the water. My long hair is also floating around loosely, and it feels amazing. I should probably wash both my hair and fur while we’re here, but I want to soak some more. 

“Since you were human?” Izumo asks curiously. “I thought you were never entirely human.”

“Didn’t always have my tail, Izu,” I tell her, my eyes still closed. “Or fangs, or these ears. Yukio told you the story of my awakening, I believe.”

“Yes, he did,” confirms Shiemi. 

“Well, then, you’ll know that before that, I believed I was human, just like everyone else here. I even looked the part,” I continue. 

“Y’know, if I hadn’t seen a picture of you when you were little, Rin, I wouldn’t believe you,” chuckles Shura

I open my eyes. “Did Dad show you one?”

“Yep!” She grins. “You and Yukio were such cute and tiny kindergarteners! But I thought you were both boys at first, until Shiro told me otherwise. I can’t believe how masculine you looked. Especially since you’ve got this nice and curvy figure now…”

I sigh. “Shura, back when I was in kindergarten, I had short hair. So of course Yukio and I both looked male.”

“But she still should have been able to tell your gender,” says Izumo. “Wouldn’t you have been wearing a skirt or something?”

“Of course not. Growing up, Yukio and I shared pretty much all our clothes, except for a few select items,” I admit. “Actually, to an extent, we still  _ do _ . His clothes are huge on me, though…” 

“You mean you used to dress like a boy?” Shiemi asks, shocked. 

“I suppose you could say that, yeah.” I shrug. “Not really a big deal. I didn’t really care whether I was recognized as a boy or a girl. Our monastery was poor, so my brother and I had to share a lot. That’s all there is to it. The only reason I started looking like a girl is because Dad convinced me to grow my hair out” I didn’t really care about fulfilling gender roles all that much back then. I was fine sharing a closet with Yukio, since we were (for the most part) close to the same size and boys’ clothes were both sturdy and comfortable. 

There’s a pause. “Either way, Rin, you were cute as a little human boy,” snickers Shura teasingly. 

I chuckle. “And now what am I, since I’m a half-demon princess of Gehenna?” I tease back. 

“Hmm…” she pretends to ponder. “I’ve got it! You’re foreign and exotic.”

“Exotic, huh?”  _ Of all the words to choose from, she goes with that? Although, I guess she’s technically not wrong. Even though I was born in Assiah with this body, I still have a parent from Gehenna. _ “Alright, then.” I shrug, and move to get out of the tub. 

“Where are you going?” Shiemi asks. 

“I’m going to go wash my hair,” I tell her as I leave. I just want to get it out of the way, maybe take care of my tail while I’m at it. There are little stations for people to do just that, so I go to one of those while Shura, Shiemi, and Izumo relax in the bath. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

As the girls disappear into the women’s side, the other guys and I head to the men’s side of the baths. It’s kinda weird having the paladin/our teacher with us, especially since he’s the Okumura twins’ adoptive dad, and the fact that he’s an old priest bathing with a bunch of young guys like us only makes it even  _ more _ awkward. The only one understandably unfazed by his presence is Yukio. We quickly strip once we’re in the locker room, and head into the large bath chamber. 

It really is a spectacular place. All sorts of baths, washing stations, even a water slide. Once I finish washing myself, I secretly want to go on that slide. It looks seriously fun. 

But the mood is quiet once we settle into our baths. No one really feels much like talking. I observe the room as I scrub my hair. Fujimoto is relaxing in a pool on his own, and it seems like he’s doing his best to give the rest of us (some much needed) space. Konekomaru and Yukio are relaxing in another pool, making idle conversation and trying not to breach sensitive topics while they both squint in an effort to see each other (both are bereft of their glasses). And Shima is nowhere that I can immediately see him. Before we came in here, he told me that he wanted to be alone, so I respected those wishes. 

After a few minutes, I hear Yukio and Konekomaru talking about Shima, and whether or not Koneko trusts him. 

“I trust him,” admits Konekomaru, when Yukio asks. 

“Based on what evidence?!” Yukio gasps, shocked. 

“Evidence? Well, you see, when we fought the Impure King, at one point Shima gave up on everyone, including me, and ran away.”

“Eh?!”

“He said he didn’t want to die. Since we were kids, Shima always had a hedonistic attitude, thinking that most things were bothersome. I always thought that Shima would run somewhere far away one day. So, back then, I thought, ‘Ah, he’s finally done it.’ But he came back for me. Sorry. My evidence is only something like that.”

“I see,” I say, sliding in beside them. 

“Bon!” Konekomaru exclaims in surprise. Either he didn’t see me coming, or he didn’t realize I was listening. Probably both. 

“Speaking of the spy, where did he go?” I wonder. I don’t see Shima anywhere, and it feels like it’s been a little  _ too _ long. 

“Now that you mention it…” murmurs Koneko, squinting as he looks around without his glasses. “Ah!” He spots Shima behind us in a pool near the wall. “There he is! Shima!” He waves. Shima doesn’t answer. “Shima?”

“I want to be alone!” Shima finally snaps. “Don’t talk to me!”

_ What the—  _ “What’s wrong with you?” I demand. “You’ve been acting strange today!”

“Strange? Me?  _ You’re _ the ones who are strange!” he yells. “Everyone’s pleasantly soaking in the hot water and enjoying skinship! What are you doing?! It’s making me sick! This is all a lie! I’m the only honest one here!”

_ This coming from the spy?!  _ “Shima! If you still have something to get off your chest, spit it out!” I shout. 

“Fine! I’ll tell you! Right next to us, Izumo, Moriyama, Rin, and Ms. Kirigakure are stark naked!” Shima snaps

It suddenly begins to dawn on me. “What… are you talking about?” I ask slowly. 

“They’re stark naked, I say! To think about wanting to see that, one way or another, is what men do!” he argues. 

“Shima,” scolds Fujimoto, piping up for the first time, “do you really want to give everyone another reason to hate you?”

Oh no. He  _ didn’t.  _ “You! I thought you’d been quiet for a while now!” I yell at Shima. “Don’t tell me that you…!”

Shima lets out an amused exhale. “Ha! Don’t worry. I haven’t peeked yet. This bath house’s security is impeccable! For a spy like me to guarantee it, there’s no mistake!” He sets a determined expression on his face. “So it’s come to this… I didn’t want to take the high-risk path, but… there’s no other way but to climb that wall!” Suddenly he’s chanting, and his staff flies from the locker room into his hand. Black flames surround it. “Yamantaka, give me your strength!”

Before I can even move, Yukio is tackling Shima to the ground. “Stop!” he yells. “That’s my sister in there! I won’t let you see her! You, or anyone else!” He turns his head to glare pointedly at me, and I get the idea. As much as I secretly want to see Rin naked, I also want to wait until marriage, if we do end up staying together. 

“Yukio, how could you?!” Shima whines. Then he smirks, thinking of something. “Oh, I see! You just want me  _ all _ to yourself, don’t you? My, moving fast, aren’t we, babe? I never realized you were this naughty.”

Yukio seems to realize what position they’re in. Both of them are completely naked, with Yukio straddling Shima’s waist while pinning his arms down. He scrambles off Shima and tries to recover his dignity, which I doubt will be likely since his own dad is snickering from his pool. “Don’t get your hopes up!” Yukio snaps, still blushing. “But if you want to get killed, by all means, go ahead and try to scale that wall!” 

“K-killed?!” The word seems to stop Shima for a moment. Yukio has a valid point. There are two women, one of them a half-demon, on the other side of that wall who can each destroy all of us men on this side effortlessly  _ without _ their swords, and without breaking a sweat. But Shima only hesitates for a moment. “Worth it!” he yells, and starts digging a hole in the wall with his staff. 

“What’s he doing?! He’s acting strange! Is it the work of a demon?!” I shout. 

“Look! On top of the wall!” Konekomaru points out. 

“Those are… three wise monkeys?!”

“I won’t let you see Rin!” Yukio yells, grabbing Shima’s arms and trapping them behind his back. But Shima simply shakes off the tallest Okumura to the side and continues his excavation through the wall. 

“At this rate, the wall will break! We have to exorcise these three wise monkeys quickly!” Konekomaru says desperately. 

And I know just how to do it, remembering a small chant I learned. “‘If you do not bow,’” I recite, pointing at the demons, “‘you need not see, hear, or speak. Retake control of yourself, recover from your bow and attain virtue.’”

Finally, they disappear. A moment later, Shima gasps and blinks. He’s himself again. “Huh? What happened?” 

“Bon! As expected of your memorization skills!” Konekomaru praises me as Yukio slides back into the pool beside us.

“It only has the same effect as a protection charm, but I’m glad I remembered it in the spur of the moment!” I sigh in relief.  _ Turns out we’re not going to die today. _

Fujimoto whistles. “I’m impressed, boy. If I didn’t already approve of you dating my daughter, I certainly do now.”

I bow my head humbly. “You flatter me, sir. Thank you.”

“That saved us, Suguro,” Yukio gratefully admits. I have a feeling he’s not exaggerating. Rin and/or Ms. Kirigakure would kill us all if that wall crumbled. 

And then the wall crumbles. 

All of us on this side stare at the three of them on that side for a long moment. The only one missing (thank goodness) is Rin. 

Kamiki and Moriyama scream in surprise and sink lower into the bath they’re in with Ms. Kirigakure so we don’t see them (we didn’t see anything anyway), and Kamiki immediately wraps her arms around Moriyama to help shield her from view. Ms. Kirigakure, on the other hand, starts rising up as she glares at us, one hand going to her bare chest, where the hilt of her sword is appearing.  _ She’s going to kill us, _ I realize, terrified.  _ We are all going to die today. _

Then Rin comes running around the corner, wearing only a towel, shouting, “Is everyone alright?!” Her long hair is limp and dripping, like she’s just been under a shower spray, and her tail has some suds in it, as if she was in the middle of washing or rinsing it.  _ Makes sense that she’d wash her tail, actually. Never really thought of it before.  _

Konekomaru squeaks and hides behind me, not wanting to see or be seen. I can feel Yukio stiffen up in terror beside me. But without meaning to, I take in every centimeter of what is revealed of her perfect body. Which turns out to be a mistake for me, because even though there’s nothing sexual about this situation, I’m getting aroused. If Rin finds out, she will probably kill me, if her brother (or, god forbid, her father) doesn’t first. My face is on fire as my eyes travel up past her legs and over the short towel that barely covers what it ought to, up to the tops of her perfectly round breasts (lingering for longer than I should but not long enough in my opinion), and back up to her face, which plainly shows her shock. “Oops…” I mutter shamefully. 

Rin scowls, her eyes narrowed into ice-cold blue slits as she glares at each of us in turn, and holds out her right hand, palm up.  _ Oh no.  _ Blue flames appear between her fingers.  _ Please, anything but this.  _ The wrath of a half-demon is not to be taken lightly, especially that of one who has the power of Satan on her side. With a swing of her arm, the blue flames fly towards us. And that’s the last thing I see before my vision explodes. 

  
  


Rin POV

A loud crashing sound and the screams that follow shock me out of my rinsing. I already finished my hair and was almost done with my tail. I immediately hurry around the corner to where the other girls are, yelling, “Is everyone alright?!” And that’s when I see the gaping hole in the wall, in between the mens’ and womens’ baths. I can see five pairs of eyes on that side that were formerly staring at those of us on this side, but their attention has been turned to me when they heard me shout. I’m just glad I’m wearing a towel, even as short as it is. 

Everyone has a different reaction. Konekomaru lets out an embarrassed squeak and hides behind Ryuuji in the pool that they’re sharing with my brother, not wanting to see us or us to see him. Renzo gapes in pleasure as he takes in my nearly-naked body from his spot behind the wall, certain parts of his anatomy being strategically hidden. Yukio just looks terrified. Dad has turned away and is laughing with his fist in his mouth. And Ryuuji, after his eyes travel down and back up my body, mutters an embarrassed, “Oops…”

First I’m surprised, then angry.  _ Those pigs! What do they think they’re doing?! _ Growling, I hold out my right hand and make a dramatic show of summoning my blue flames as I glare at each of them individually. With a swing of my arm, I send a volley of blue fire toward the guys. There is no hope for them of escaping my wrath. 

“Don’t you think that was a little much back there, Rin?” Shiemi asks timidly as we dry off and pull our clothes back on. She’s the only one brave enough to talk to me right now, since I’m still fuming at what the guys did. No doubt this was all Renzo’s doing in the first place. He’s the only one with the stones to do something like that. .  _ That  _ jerk _! How dare he attempt to look at girls when he has feelings for my brother?! _ But even if any sort of relationship between Yukio and Renzo is on hold, Renzo still risked hurting my twin. 

“Of course it wasn’t too much,” I hiss angrily, gritting my teeth. “In my opinion, I went too easy on everyone.” As punishment, I singed all the guys’ eyebrows. I wanted to scare them by making them think I was about to burn all their eyes out, and I succeeded. Their burnt eyebrows will also serve as a reminder not to try something like that again, so it’s a double win for me. 

“I agree,” concurs Izumo harshly. “If they had seen Shiemi, I would have summoned Uke and Mike and helped you kill the lot of them.”

_ She doesn’t care about her own dignity?  _ Then it hits me. I smirk. “Oh? You seem  _ awfully  _ protective there, Izu. Is there something you wanna say?” I wiggle my eyebrows. “More specifically, about the nature of your  _ friendship  _ with Shiemi?”

Izumo immediately goes as red as a tomato. “D-don’t read too much into it!” she stammers, crossing her arms. Meanwhile, Shiemi looks confused.  _ Oh, my sweet, innocent little angel. _

“Even so, Rin,” says Shura proudly, slinging her arm around my shoulders, “that control was simply stunning! Excellent work!” She kisses the side of my temple with a loud smacking sound. “That’s my girl!” 

I can’t help but chuckle a little. “What are you, my mother?” 

“How rude!” Shura shakes her head and crosses her arms, mildly insulted. “I’m only eighteen!”

Walking back to True Cross Academy is awkward and silent for all of us. Even though no one was actually seen totally naked in front of everyone (only Shura was seen half-naked, when she was pulling out her sword), it was still quite an experience for all of us. 

I notice that my brother is particularly quiet, but I don’t think it’s because of what happened today.  _ No, he’s bothered by something, and I don’t think he wants to talk about it. _ But I approach him anyway, once we’ve split up from everyone else to go back to our dorm. 

“Yukio,” I begin carefully, walking beside him. “You’ve been troubled for a while now. I don’t know what it’s about, but you know, you can always talk to your big sister. I can help you!”  _ I just want him to tell me what’s going on! He’s been acting so weird lately, like he’s keeping secrets from me, but why would he do that? What can’t he trust his own sister with? _

“I… was just tired.” Yukio looks at me and grins. “I’m okay now.”

“Is that so…” I mutter skeptically. 

“Yes,” he insists. “Thank you for your concern.”

“Hmm…” I hum, still unconvinced. But it’s clear he doesn’t want to talk about it. So I change the subject. “On another note,” I say, grinning, “how did it feel to bathe with your boyfriend? I’m sure you both got quite an eyeful of each other’s bodies.” I wink. 

The effect is immediate. “R-Rin!” Yukio yelps, turning red. “Where is your mind right now?! Shima and I aren’t in that kind of relationship! We’re not in  _ any _ kind of relationship right now!”

I snicker. “If you say so,” I chuckle. “But you can’t hold back your feelings for each other forever.”

“Rin, we’re not holding back our feelings,” Yukio promises. “We’re just not becoming official yet. That’s okay, right?”

_ Ah, I see now.  _ I nod. “Yeah. That’s okay, if you’re comfortable with that.” A question pops into my mind. “Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, has anything happened between you yet? Like kissing and stuff.”

We have reached our dorm building, but we don’t go in just yet. “Not really,” he admits. “He kissed me on the cheek the day he returned, and we  _ did _ kinda have an awkward encounter in the bath today, but nothing more than that.”

“I see,” I say thoughtfully. 

We go in together and head up to our dorm room. “Hey, Rin?” Yukio asks as we climb the stairs.

“Yeah?”

“That  _ was _ the first time you and Suguro have seen each other naked, right? I mean, you haven’t been doing…  _ things  _ when you’re alone with him while I’m out, have you?”

“Okay, first of all, we didn’t actually see each other naked, since all the important bits were covered up,” I tell him. “And second of all, of course it was the first time he’s seen me like that. Did you even see the look on his face? And just what sort of ‘things’ do you think I’m doing with him, brother, when we have our study sessions?” I ask innocently. I know exactly what kinds of things he’s talking about, but it’ll be fun to make him tell me, all the same. 

As if on command, he turns beet-red again. “I… uh… I mean…” he stammers, “well, you  _ are  _ a young couple, and sometimes you might have… er… certain urges to… Aw, geez, Rin! You know what I’m talking about!”  _ Guess he couldn’t do it after all. _

“Yeah, but I just wanted to hear you say it,” I tease, grinning. Then I put on a more serious and honest tone. “But no, Ryu and I have not done  _ that _ yet. He hasn’t even touched me. He really is a good guy, you know, and if you’ll just sit down and talk to him, man to man, you’ll see that, Yuki.”

But only one word of what I just said appears to have reached Yukio’s ears. “Wait, what do you mean ‘yet’?! Don’t tell me you have plans to let him defile your body soon! Rin, if I even get an  _ inkling _ that you and Suguro are screwing around, I’m telling Dad!”

I don’t have any plans, and I’m not ready for something like that (neither is Ryuuji, I’m sure), but I just give Yukio an ambiguous shrug and don’t answer him.  _ That should keep him needlessly distressed about my relationship with Ryuuji a little while longer. Maybe it’ll distract him from whatever he’s worried about, too.  _


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin worries about Yukio, Yukio keeps his secret, and Mephisto holds an assembly to make some important announcements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Rin POV

“Look at what I got, Kuro!” I tell my familiar proudly as I gesture toward the low newly-fixed table in the middle of the dorm room. “This is a kotatsu!” It has been a couple weeks since Renzo came back and we had that bath incident, and it’s starting to get more chilly as autumn progresses towards winter. 

“ _ I know! I love kotatsus! _ ” Kuro replies excitedly. I can sense his confusion, though. “ _ But it’s a kotatsu without a futon? _ ”

“I’ll take out the futon when it’s a lot colder,” I promise, sitting down on the floor next to it. “And when it does, we’ll get everyone over for a hot-pot party! How does that sound, Kuro? Amazing, huh?”

“ _ Amazing! _ ” Kuro shouts happily, his mouth watering as he jumps up on top of the kotatsu. 

“I’m home!” Yukio calls, opening the door and coming in. 

“Oh, Yukio!” I greet him. “I tried setting up this kotatsu, but… what do you think? Is it in the way?”

“It’s fine,” he reassures me, taking off his exorcist coat. “It still looks pretty new to me,” he says as he looks at it. “That’s really lucky of you.” He hangs up his coat. “I need to go back out after a quick shower.”

_ So late in the evening?! _ “What about dinner?”

“I’ll pass,” he tells me regretfully. “It’ll be like this for quite awhile, so you can go ahead and do whatever you want, Rin.”

“You need to try to get more rest, Yukio,” I scold. “Your health is going to suffer if you don’t. And I don’t know what you’re eating nowadays, but if it’s not my cooking, it’s probably not good for you.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he apologizes as he finds his towel and shampoo. “But this is important, okay? After this, I promise I’ll take it easier and eat as much of your cooking as you want me to.”

Then he’s gone, off to the showers.  _ What’s going on? _ “He’s acting really strange, isn’t he?” I ask Kuro. 

“ _ Yukio’s always so tired, _ ” answers Kuro, licking his fur. 

“Yeah. And considering he’s not even a teacher anymore, I thought he’d been getting more relaxed. I guess I was wrong. I wonder if he’s getting sent out on more missions?” 

“Alright, so here are your quiz results,” announces Dad. He peels the top one from the stack he has in his hands. “Rin,” he calls. I come up to collect my quiz. “You’ve done well,” he tells me, grinning as I take it. 

“Huh?” I look down at the paper in my hands. And I see the score. I gasp.  _ No way this is real. _ “No way! This is amazing!”  _ I have a score of 82! _ “Shiemi, look!” I show her excitedly as she collects her own test. 

“That’s great, Rin! I’ve improved too!” She has a score of 100. It makes me really happy to see her doing so well. 

I grin proudly. “Nice job, Shiemi! Guess you got the real plant names memorized now, huh?”

“Yep!” She’s always had her own made-up names for plants, like ‘Mr. Sancho’ instead of ‘aloe’ and stuff like that. They were cute, but not really able to translate well for other people who were trying to understand what she was talking about. 

The bell rings, signaling the end of class. But Dad holds us back a moment. “I’m sorry, everyone, but one more thing,” he says. “The exorcist examinations will be held slightly early this year.”  _ Huh? _ “More information will be given later on, but I need you to refill out the form stating which meister you’re hoping for and hand it in as soon as possible.” He starts passing out the forms. “The meister on this form will ultimately be the one that you’ll be taking the test for. So please think about this well, everyone.”

“Why did they move it up so suddenly?” Izumo wonders. 

“Ah!” Konekomaru cries in a panic. “The next demonology class is outdoors! Bon, Kamiki, you guys have it too!”

“That’s right!” Ryuuji agrees. “What about you, spy?” he asks Renzo. 

“Me too,” replies Renzo. Then he realizes what Ryuuji just called him. “Hey, wait a minute, I answered without even thinking it through…”

“Hey, Shiemi,” I say. “We’re in the same demon psychology class next, right?”

“Yep! So we don’t need to move!”

As everyone leaves, Dad packs up his things. I should probably talk to Dad about  _ him _ … “Hey, Dad?” I speak up before he’s finished. “I think you and I need to talk.”

“What’s wrong, Rin?” he asks. “Did something happen with you and Suguro? Do I need to have a little chat with him about what happens when someone hurts my precious daughter?”

I shake my head. “I’m flattered, but no. It’s actually about Yukio. I’m  _ really _ worried about him. He’s acting weird, he’s staying out late,and God knows what his diet is like these days because I know he’s not eating my cooking…”

“Hmm, I see…” Dad hums as he considers this information. “I wonder if I should ask what’s going on…”

“I tried, but he won’t tell me anything,” I admit. “And in the past, he could  _ never _ keep secrets from me, except that little one where you trained him to be an exorcist behind my back.”

“Don’t worry, Rin,” Dad reassures me. “I’ll get him to open up about it.”

“Thanks. But even if he doesn’t tell you what he’s up to, will you at least try to convince him to be home for dinner?” I beg. 

Dad nods. “Of course I will. You know, Rin, you sound like his mother.”

I chuckle. “I  _ feel _ like his mother. I’m not called the ‘mom friend’ for nothing, you know.”

  
  


Yukio POV

My footsteps echo as I walk along the destroyed and abandoned streets of a part of True Cross that is far away from the academy. A narrow beam of light shines from the flashlight I brought with me. I choose a building at random and go in. The inside is infested with coal tar and other, less-savory demons, but that’s okay. There are no other humans around. 

“I could use it here,” I mutter to myself.  _ All this time, I’ve been so afraid of these eyes. _ I haven’t told anyone about what they do now. Maybe I’m just too scared of this new power of mine. Maybe I know, deep down, that I’ll most likely be taken by the Vatican and they’ll experiment on me. Or maybe I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems. Everyone else already has too much to think about, and adding my issue to their lists won’t help them at all. I know that Rin, in particular, worries about me enough, and while she’d probably forgive me for making her worry more, and in fact possibly attempt to help me, she doesn’t need any more on her plate than she already has. 

I remember what Father told me, the day he suggested I start training to become an exorcist, all those years ago.  _ “Yukio, rather than living while fearing the darkness, you should become stronger, so that you can protect the people and your sister…” _

And to do that, I have to harness whatever power this is that I have.  _ I want to be stronger. A lot stronger than my sister is.  _ And I can only do that by experimenting and training on my own, in secret and isolation. I look out one of the broken windows, pondering.  _ There should be things I can try. What in the world are these eyes? I must find out. I’ve passed the Order’s screening tests, which means I haven’t inherited the flames like Rin has, and I’m not being possessed. So what kind of power could be in my eyes? To find that out, first, I have to recreate the circumstances of when the power is my eyes manifested. The first occurrence was during my fight with Todou. _ I have reason to believe that Rin didn’t see what happened with my eyes back then. She was preoccupied with protecting that child, the one who had been kidnapped.  _ The second time was shortly before my encounter with Lucifer.  _ The zombie in that little room had backed me into a corner, without any hope of defeating it or escaping.  _ These situations have at least one thing in common. Fear. More specifically, fear while facing death. In other words, I must recreate fear by putting my own life in danger.  _

“However,” I mutter, looking around, “no matter what type of experiment I do, this place is too filthy.” The place is crawling with low-level demons. I raise my pistols. “I’ll need to clean it up a little.”

  
  


Ryuuji POV

Perched on the wide stone railing of the balcony, I stare down at the gathering exorcists in the circular-shaped room far below. In one hand, I clutch the paper that will determine which meister I will be as an exorcist. Behind me, a door opens. 

“I didn’t know that there was a veranda like this outside of the cram school classroom,” comments Kamiki. She closes the door behind her and approaches me. “What are you doing in a place like this?”

I fold up my form and shove it in my pocket. “I’m having a look at the assembly. It seems that the branch chiefs from the cities of the Kanto region have gathered.”

“Maybe they’ll mention why the certification exam was brought forward?” Kamiki guesses. “I wonder how much they are bringing it forward by. To be honest, I’m at a loss.”

“Same here,” I admit as I slide off the railing and back onto the balcony. I lean my weight on the stone barrier, still staring down at the assembly. 

“You… Don’t tell me that you’re having second thoughts about becoming an exorcist…” Kamiki gapes. 

“Of course not!” I snap at her. “My resolve is stronger than ever!”  _ How could she even think something like that? _

“Is that so?” she says, though not unkindly. “Then it’s fine. Because I understand how you feel a little. Losing the people that are important to you, losing your purpose, and feeling like you’ve ended up being left alone.”

“More than I am, aren’t you the one doubting yourself?” I ask. 

“I  _ will _ become an exorcist. I don’t have anywhere else to go. And, since I lost everything, it feels surprisingly refreshing,” she admits. 

_ Hmm…  _ “You’ve changed.”

“Huh? Is there something wrong with that?” She sounds ready to take offense. 

“No. You’re better as you are now.”

“Wha… Why do I have to be told that by you?!”

“That was a compliment!”

“Oh! Here you guys are!” Kamiki and I turn around, and see Rin in the doorway that Kamiki just came through. “I didn’t even know that there was a veranda like this out here!”

“Hey, Rin,” I greet her. “If everyone else is in the classroom, call them over. The teachers won’t come until the assembly ends, so we might as well listen to it.”

“Assembly?” Rin comes out onto the balcony and peers curiously down at the gathering below, and I can’t help but notice that she puts herself between myself and Kamiki, though I don’t know whether she’s jealous that I was talking to Kamiki or she wants to prevent any fighting between us (probably the latter, since she doesn’t get jealous easily, if ever, and Kamiki and I have quite a history of fighting). To my surprise, everyone else is already with her. Konekomaru, Shima, and Moriyama follow her to the railing and look down at the assembly just as it begins. It’s no surprise that Takara is nowhere in sight. He typically doesn’t care about these things. 

“Everyone, please be quiet!” calls the speaker. “We have an announcement from the Japanese branch chief, Sir Mephisto Pheles. Without further ado, please welcome Sir Pheles!”

In a puff of smoke, Sir Pheles appears.  _ As dramatic as always.  _ “Guten morgen! Mephisto Pheles appears as soon as he is called!” Sir Pheles introduces himself with one of his signature flourishes. “Now, let’s get straight to the point.”  _ Not wasting any time, huh?  _ “It is now a well-established fact that demonic activities have been intensifying worldwide in the last two months. And as you may know, apparitions of low-class demons are increasing in the school. That is why the patrol squad, which you can see here, and other measures had to be deployed. And with the sudden increase of requests for exorcists, finding some is like being on a waiting list for tickets to a reservation-only idol concert. This is a dire situation! Therefore, the Vatican headquarters ordered us to increase the number of exorcists as soon as possible. First, we’ll form an alliance with exorcist organizations that are not currently a part of the Order if the Knights. In times of need, we must do what it takes and seek aid. Second, we’ll be holding the exorcist certification exam at the start of next year in hopes of increasing the number of exorcists even more.” Immediately, the hum of voices rises from the auditorium below us, people voicing their concerns to their neighbors. “These are the decisions from headquarters! Please calm down!” Sir Pheles interrupts them in annoyance. 

But we have our own concerns up here as well. “At the start of next year?! That only leaves us with a month and a half!” Kamiki protests. 

“Are we that short-handed?” Moriyama asks. 

“When he says that there is an increase in demons… could this be related to the Illuminati?” Rin wonders. 

Simultaneously, all our eyes shift to the spy. “I’m not involved!” Shima insists, crossing his arms adamantly. 

Down below, more questions are being asked. “Why is the number of demons increasing? Please give us a more detailed explanation.”

“Is the investigation of headquarters still in progress?”

“There are still no intelligible results to the investigation,” explains Sir Pheles. “Please be patient.”

“Won’t seeking to increase the number of exorcists at this pace lead to a decrease in the quality of the personnel?”

“That is a reasonable concern,” Sir Pheles agrees. “But please rest assured. In fact, the Vatican headquarters sent a powerful individual to help us with this matter and work here as a cram school teacher. I’ll introduce him now! Lewin…”

But before he can finish, there is an explosion in the midst of the crowd. “A hobgoblin colony!” someone shouts in panic. 

“What?! Why?!”

“Hobgoblins are attacking the assembly!”

“Wait! Over there! Isn’t that Lightning?!”

Sure enough, Lightning is making his way out on stage. He raises one arm in the air. “Furfur!”  _ Furfur? Kin to the top upper-level air demon? _ _ He means to summon that one? _ But there doesn’t seem to be a lot of time before the sheer mass of hobgoblins completely overwhelms the exorcists below.  _ Furthermore, to summon this demon, a long chant and complex ritual should be necessary! _ “Lightning, the master ruling over the four great… And the rest is omitted!” A crackling ball of electricity appears above his head, and bolts shoot outwards, destroying the hobgoblins. 

“Wha…”  _ Omitted?! _

Now that the chaos is over, though, Sir Pheles begins again. “Let me introduce him once more! One of the pillars of the Arc Knights, the master of lightning… Lewin Light!”

“Is that for real?” Rin breathes in disbelief beside me. 

“No…” Shima groans. “That’s the worst…”

But I’m still completely awestruck. “Amazing,” I whisper. 


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lightning’s first lecture doesn’t go as well as planned, Rin and Ryuuji help Lightning, Ryuuji’s friends are dramatic, and Ryuuji becomes Lightning’s apprentice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! This chapter is quite a lot longer than last week’s, and I hope you enjoy it!

Rin POV

“So from now on,” announces our new teacher, “I’ll be in charge of Shura Kirigakure’s classes. That is, sword practice and the one called ‘Magic Circles and Seals Studies.’ Let’s all get along! But honestly, to get such a grand welcome and have so many students… I’m so happy, I think I might cry!” As soon as Mephisto’s assembly ended, we all headed back to our classroom. A few minutes later, the newest cram school faculty member arrived.

‘So many students’ doesn’t even come close to describing how many people are in here.  _ We’re packed like sardines in this tiny classroom, and for whom? None other than Lewin Light, of course. _ After he arrived to teach us, but before he could say anything, he was followed by three or four dozen other people, eager to learn what advice he has to offer. The two-person desks in here are crammed with three to four people each, and everyone not at a desk is sitting on the floor or standing. I’m fortunate enough to be at a desk, sandwiched in between Ryuuji and Takara. Renzo, Izumo, Konekomaru, and Shiemi are squished together at the desk behind us. 

“Wait…” protests Izumo in confusion. “There are cram school students from different classes, and there are even exorcists…”

“They all want to learn from Lightning,” huffs Ryuuji in annoyance. “Of course they’d gather here!”

“You don’t have an opportunity like this very often, after all,” Konekomaru reasons. 

“Well then,” continues Lightning, ignoring or oblivious to the chatter, “let’s start the lesson right away!” He draws four symbols on the board. “What is this?” he asks, pointing. The symbols are a plus sign, a circle, a triangle, and a square. They look like the buttons on a video game controller, but that couldn’t possibly be it.  _ I just hope he doesn’t call on me. _ But no one else seems to be able to answer either. “Alright, I’ll ask the illegitimate daughter of Satan and user of blue flames, Rin Okumura, to answer this!”

_ Oh, come on! Just my luck! _ “Give me a break!” I scoff loudly, annoyed. “It just looks like basic geometrical shapes you’d learn in kindergarten to me!”

“You’re close, princess!” Lightning assures me cheerfully. 

“ _ Don’t _ call me that!” I shout angrily, even if he  _ is _ technically right about me being a princess, but he’s not listening to me.

“The answer is, this is the magic circle I habitually use for things like summoning demons.”

“Huh?! I wasn’t close at all!”  _ What’s with this guy?! _

“It’s simple, isn’t it?” Lightning explains, ignoring my outburst. “In real combat, you’re required to respond quickly. So I’ll teach you how to simplify complex magic circles and long chants! First, you have to…” He goes into a long lecture about how to simplify the procedures of summoning and chanting, eventually drifting to another topic that is somehow, according to him, related: the need for humans to become demons’ friends. He lists all the ways it’s important and why it works. 

As Lightning explains, Ryuuji subtly whispers to me, “Do you think anyone really believes this crap?” I shrug. 

At the end of his lecture, Lightning concludes, “So let’s get along with demons! And let’s make connections with demon authorities! And the rest is omitted!” There is a long moment of silence. Then there’s a large shuffling sound as several bodies move around, and suddenly the room is a lot emptier. “Hm? It seems that the number of students decreased during my lecture. Too bad!” The bell signaling the end of class rings. “Ah! The class is over too.”

“Do they even want to learn?” I grumble as I put my things away. “Honestly, saying things like ‘Let’s get along with demons!’ will only make people think you’re crazy.”

“Isn’t that ironic coming from you, Rin?” Ryuuji asks. 

“But what Lightning said is true,” admits Izumo. “As things are now, humans can’t fight demons without borrowing the power of other demons. I’m no different from everyone else.”

“It’s true that to become an upper-class exorcist, it’s essential to make a contract with an upper-class demon,” points out Konekomaru. 

“And there are good demons as well, like Rin and Nii,” argues Shiemi. “They are kind!”

“I’m only half, though!” I protest. “And did you forget where my demon half even came from?!”

“Ah, right!” Lightning interrupts us. “You guys… can a few of you give me a hand with something? Strong guys would be best!”

“Haha! Thanks. You’ll be a big help,” says Lightning, opening the door to his new living quarters. In the end, it was Ryuuji and I who came to help. Lightning tried to go on about how he couldn’t make the princess of Gehenna and daughter of his superior do this, but I shut him down right then and there, telling him that we could discuss gender roles later, after I’ve proven what strength women can have (demon women, but women nonetheless). “I have a lot of stuff to unpack,” Lightning continues, “and I haven’t had a chance to do it at all, you see?”

Yes, I see. I can also smell it.  _ He’s a junk hoarder! _ The sheer amount of stuff is overwhelming, and that  _ stench _ .  _ I can’t breathe! _ Ryuuji and I cover our mouths and noses, coughing. “It stinks!”

“Ah, for real? I don’t notice it,” says Lightning innocently.  _ Of course he doesn’t! If you live in such filth for so long, you get used to the smell! _ “Then let’s have sylphs ventilate the room.” He clicks open a lighter. “Sylphy!” Immediately, there’s a tiny swarm surrounding the small flame. “I’ll make you a bonfire later, so I’m counting on you, okay?”

The sylphs fly around, and suddenly I can breathe again. I inhale the clean air in large gasps. But while I’m grateful, Ryuuji is confused. “Is there some kind of special mechanism in that lighter?” he asks. 

“No. Why?” Lightning replies. “Sylphs love flames, you know. You’ve studied the ‘demonic elements chart,’ right? ‘Air’ gets along with ‘fire’ and ‘water.’ It’s always better to know what kind of things your work partners like, don’t you think?” Done with his little impromptu lecture, he gestures to a pile of boxes. “So, can you take the books in these boxes and put them on the shelves over there?”

“Yes,” we answer simultaneously. 

All goes well until I notice a couple of sylphs flipping through the pages of a book that I’m trying to pick up and put away. “Hey,” I say, waving my hand at them to shoo them away. “This isn’t the time to play.” They both stop and glare angrily at me. 

“ _ Shut up, _ ” a sneering sylph growls in my head. “ _ Go away, you big brutish girl. Who do you think you are, anyway? _ ”

“Come on, now, that’s not a very nice thing to — Ouch!” A thin line of pain appears on my cheek, and when I put my hand to it, a little bit of blood comes away on my fingers. 

“What’s wrong?” Lightning asks, coming over. 

“I was cut,” I murmur, staring at the blood on my hand, still surprised that the sylphs would be so mean-spirited.  _ Why would the sylph just do something like that? What did I do to provoke them? _ “They tried to insult me, too…”

“Huh? That’s not good,” he clucks in disappointment. “Let’s exorcise them.”

_ What?  _ “Exorcise? You mean you’ll kill them?”

“These kinds of things can’t be forgiven.”

“But it was only a scratch. I’ll heal up in no time.” Actually, my skin has already knitted itself back together. “See? Better already.”

But Lightning has already made up his mind. “Mortem,” he commands, and the sylphs all disappear. 

For some reason, that captures my attention, which is strange because I’m not an aria in any way. I haven’t memorized any sutras or mantras or fatal verses. I tend to let my sword and flames do the damage to my enemies. But what Lightning just did…  _ A one-word fatal verse? I thought they were supposed to be full phrases, not just a single word. What is he doing? _

“You’re amazing,” Ryuuji praises Lightning. “You can control demons at will… As expected of you, Lightning!”

Amusement tugs Lightning’s lips into a grin. “There you go again,” he tells him. “You’re Ryuuji Suguro, right? The same goes for you. I hear people say that you’re a genius.”

“Genius?!” Ryuuji is absolutely astonished to be called a genius by a talented and powerful person like Lightning. 

“And they say that  _ you’re _ a genius at causing problems!” Lightning tells me, putting his hand on my shoulder. 

“I… uh… what?”  _ I don’t know what to say to that. Deny it? Can’t do that. Although it’s more like trouble finds me wherever I go. Tell him that he’s right? Okay, I guess I could say that, but it’s not like I  _ want _ to admit it. _ But before I can say anything else, Lightning retreats and hops up on a stool to continue talking about my boyfriend (to my great relief and Ryuuji’s great embarrassment). 

“They say stuff like, ‘Even though he’s only an esquire, he already knows the majority of the fatal verses and scriptures by heart.’ My memorization skills are awful, so I really admire you.”

Apart from that time at the public bath, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ryuuji more flustered. “That… that’s too much,” he stammers. “Even though I’m good at memorizing verses and such, I’m not useful in a fight at all…”

Lightning frowns, in deep thought. “You  _ are _ useful,” he insists. “I think you’ll make a great exorcist.”

“I have no reason,” admits Ryuuji grimly, “to become an exorcist anymore.”

_ Wait, what? _ “What are you talking about?” I ask. 

“My reason… my ambition was to defeat Satan, who tore my family apart, so that I could bring them together once more! But it’s taking too much time. Everyone’s already started to walk their own paths. There’s no need for my ambition! That’s why I can’t become an exorcist unless I find a new ambition!” Ryuuji is dead serious about this. 

“Pfft!” Lightning turns his head away, laughing into his fist. 

For some reason, this makes me angry. “Hey! What are you laughing at?!” I demand. Ryuuji is angry as well, his face turning bright red as he bares his teeth and scowls. 

“Hahaha!” Lightning continues laughing, ignoring me. “Isn’t that what we call ‘getting one’s priorities backwards’? Don’t tell me that you’re the kind of guy who needs an ‘ambition’ to eat or take a bath?”  _ What? _ I’m just confused now.  _ Why would he make such a comparison? _ _ Isn’t becoming an exorcist on a different caliber than eating or bathing? And what does this guy even know about bathing anyway? _

“Ambition is necessary!” Ryu yells. “It becomes the power that pushes one forward! What about you? Why did you become an exorcist?! And don’t tell me that you didn’t have a reason!”

“I…” begins Lightning solemnly, “had my whole family slaughtered by a demon when I was little.”

Ryuuji has this look of shock on his face. “So… you became an exorcist to…”

“No, I’m just messing with you.” Lightning grins.  _ Messing with him? _ “I grew up in Texas in a perfectly normal household, and my father, mother, older brother, and older sister are all doing fine.”

“What’s with that?!” I’m with Ryuuji on this one.  _ Why would Lightning answer like that, if it’s not the truth? _

“Sorry. I’ll answer seriously now. I wanted to become a hero, you see.” Lightning has this far-off look in his eyes, or at least I assume he does since his bangs are covering them completely, but his head is tilted up a little, as if he’s looking into the distance, even if we’re just in a tiny room. But I’m almost positive he’s faking it. “I’m an American, so ever since I was a kid, I’ve looked up to the heroes you find in American comics. I wanted to fight for justice, just like them…”

“That’s a lie, right?!”

“Correct!” Lightning confirms happily. “You’re getting good at this!”

“You’re annoying! Don’t go too far when making fun of people!” Ryuuji is  _ really _ angry now. I think I’ve only seen him this angry twice before: when I revealed my flames for the first time, and when he suspected his father of treason but wasn’t getting any answers. A part of me wonders if I should step in or let it all play out. I decide on the latter option, since this seems to be something he should handle on his own. And okay, if I’m being honest with myself, this is almost entertaining, to watch their exchange. So I think I’ll sit back and see how things go. 

“Sorry. This time I’ll answer seriously. I don’t have any grandiose ambition or dream.”  _ He’s telling the truth now, _ I think.  _ I’m sure of it. _ “I don’t have an especially dark past, or an enemy I must take revenge against. If I’m forced to explain why, I’d say that I love this world. That’s all there is to it.”

“Lightning…” whispers Ryuuji with an indistinguishable look on his face. Suddenly his head nearly hits the ground as he gets down on his hands and knees and bows respectfully to Lightning. “Please make me your disciple!”

“Eh?!” I can’t stop the sound from escaping my lips. “What’s gotten into you, Ryu?!”

“Woah!” Lightning gasps in awe. “Kneeling on the ground?”

_ Disciple?! What is he doing?! _

  
  


Yukio POV

“All right,” I mutter, surrounded by the eight magic circles I drew on the ground. “Let’s start.” I begin chanting the appropriate sutra. I must be crazy to be doing this, but it has to be done.  _ I must recreate fear by putting my own life in danger.  _ “Naiad’s Carousel,” I finish, and it begins. I am doused with water from all sides, and soon, I’m encased in a large sphere. 

_ I really do hate summonings. I’m losing my strength…  _ I’m losing consciousness too.  _ I can’t breathe. Come out! Come…  _ Suddenly the sphere of water explodes, and I fall to the ground, sputtering and coughing. 

Once I’m able to breathe again, I start chuckling quietly. Of course that wouldn’t have worked.  _ With that method, when I lose consciousness or get exhausted, the naiads and the water cage vanish. Even though it brought me to the verge of death, I tried it, knowing that there was a chance of survival…  _ “I need true fear,” I tell myself resolutely as I wipe some of the water off my face with the back of my hand. My sister and my father would definitely not approve of any of the things I’ve done or anything I’m planning to do in this secret training of mine, but I need to know about my eyes, and I won’t stop until I do. 

  
  


Rin POV

“The prints I just gave you,” announces Dad, “make sure to hand them to me tomorrow.” His lecture for the day over, my dad leaves the cram school classroom. 

“Ehh?!” Konekomaru cries out, about a matter not related to the prints my dad just gave us. “Bon knelt on the ground, asking to be his disciple?!  _ His _ , as in  _ Lightning _ ?!”

“Huh?!” Renzo gasps loudly in disbelief from beside him, turning in his seat to stare at me and Ryuuji at the desk behind them. 

“That’s exactly how I reacted too,” I tell him. “Tch! But we just can’t trust that guy!”  _ After what he wanted from me… ugh, I felt so violated… _ I resist the impulse to shiver and pull the Koma sword closer to my body. 

“So what was Lightning’s answer?” Renzo asks. 

“Well…” I tell Renzo and Konekomaru all about what happened. 

_ “Ehh? No way,” said Lightning. “I’ve never had anything like an apprentice, and I’m not good at teaching anyway. Besides, you seem more than capable. There’s no need for me to teach you, is there?” _

_ “There is! If I can’t be your apprentice, then I can be your assistant, or anything you want!” Ryuuji shouted, bowing again.  _

_ “Ryu…” I was shocked to see him begging so hard for something like an apprenticeship.  _

_ “Hah, I’m beat,” Lightning relented. “Ah! I know! If you give me that, I will make you my apprentice!” _

_ “‘That’?” Ryuuji asked, confused.  _

_ “That.” Lightning pointed at the object he was talking about. It turned out to be the Koma sword.  _

_ But there was no way I would let that happen. That was my demon heart he was talking about! “Why are you asking for  _ my _ things when Ryuuji is asking something from you?!” I shrieked at him, unable to stand back and watch silently any longer. “Of course the answer is no!” _

_ “Ehhh? No?” Lightning asked as though he didn’t understand why it made sense. “You can’t take the blow for the sake of a friend? Oh, wait, I remember now. Isn’t he your boyfriend? Don’t you love him? How cold! It’s almost as if you were the daughter of Satan.” _

_ “I  _ am  _ the daughter of Satan!” I yelled. “And I completely trust Ryuuji with handling my demon heart! But  _ you _ will stay away from my precious sword if you know what’s good for you!” _

_ “To tell you the truth, this is the first time I’ve seen a demon sword like that, so there are a lot of things I want to try. You know, like this kind of thing, or that kind of thing!” He grinned.  _

_ I actually shivered, hugging my arms close to my body and pulling in my tail involuntarily. This guy was really creeping me out. I slung Kurikara onto my back and grabbed Ryuuji’s hand, pulling him toward the door. “You finally showed your true nature, pervert!” I shouted at Lightning. “No one needs to learn anything from the likes of you! Let’s go, Ryu!” _

“With that,” I conclude, “the conversation ended. As you can see, we all need to be careful of that guy.” After our discussion with Lightning yesterday, Ryuuji and I went back to my dorm building and I made us dinner. Yukio wasn’t there, so it was just us and Kuro. 

“I haven’t given up yet, though,” admits Ryuuji. 

“Eh?!” I grab Kurikara and hold it tightly to my chest, staring terrified at my boyfriend.  _ If he thinks he’s getting my demon heart, he’s got another thing coming! _

“That’s not what I mean! I don’t need your sword!” Ryuuji promises me. “I wouldn’t do that to you. But I want that guy to teach me, no matter what.”

“Bon, why are you going this far?” Konekomaru asks. 

“That guy, Lightning… whether it’s in abilities or spirit, he has many things I’m lacking,” says Ryuuji. “I guess the best way to say it is that I’ve fallen for him!”

“Fallen for him?” That’s a funny way of putting it. “Ryu, are you telling me that I have a love rival?” I tease. 

“It can’t be…” Konekomaru whispers. “To think that Bon has fallen for someone other than Rin… It’s shocking! And Bon has always been like our boss, so…”

“Ehh?!”

“That’s right,” continues Renzo. “Bon is an authentic monkey-spirited boss, right? Being someone’s underling is impossible, I’m telling you!”

“You’re the ones who did this to me, you know!” Ryuuji calms himself down, taking a deep breath. “No. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been put above everyone else. To be honest, I don’t know anything other than that. I want to do my best and see what it’s like to be under someone!”

“Bon… you’re really serious about it…” sobs Konekomaru, pushing his glasses up his forehead and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. 

“That’s not what our monkey boss would do!” Renzo shouts in outrage as I get up and hug Konekomaru from behind. 

“Don’t cry, Konekomaru,” I murmur soothingly as I wrap one arm around his torso and rub his head with my other hand. He grabs my arm for support. “Ryuuji is an honest man. No matter what, I’ll support you!”

“Can’t you people turn it down for even a moment?” Ryuuji groans, facepalming in embarrassment. I don’t see why he’s so ashamed of us. We  _ are _ the ones he hangs out with most, and he should know how we are by now. We’re all dramatic little weirdos who love him and will never tire of annoying him. 

“Hey, guys!” Ryuuji, Renzo, Konekomaru, and I turn around to see Lightning and Shura coming towards us as we head toward the exit of the cram school. Lightning is the one who called out just now. “I was wondering, is there anyone who would assist me in putting my room in order once more?”

“I’ll help!” Ryuuji immediately volunteers.  _ He’s such a kiss up, _ I think, mentally smiling and shaking my head. 

“I’ll help too,” I tell Lightning. “But it’s for Ryuuji, not you.”

“Hahaha! I suspected as much!”

“Wow! Amazing!” Lightning gasps in awe as he stares at the bookshelves we just finished organizing. “They’re all properly arranged by classification. I can’t think of these as my bookshelves.”  _ I bet you can’t,  _ I think, but stay quiet. “Now do the same job while putting the rest of the things on the shelves.”

“Even if you tell us that,” says Ryuuji, gesturing around at the rest of Lightning’s stuff, “there isn’t enough space. You have too many things. Let’s start by throwing out the stuff that you don’t need. Like, what are you doing with so many weapons lying around here?” He points at a pile of large guns. 

“Not much. But isn’t it fine? They aren’t bothering anyone there.”

“Somehow, it’s like what you see on those variety shows,” I comment. I pick up a large wooden box and study it. “Anyway, you have a lot of strange things. What is this?” Suddenly it opens, and I’m facing a huge, gaping, square mouth filled with a whole lot of teeth. Before I can even react, it leans forward and swallows me whole. I yelp in surprise as darkness literally closes in around me. There’s an impact as the box knocks against something, and as it’s followed by a grunt from Ryuuji, I assume that the box fell on him. With a final  _ thud _ , it lands on the floor. I try opening the box from the inside, but to no avail. “Help! I’m trapped!” I yell through the wood, banging on it with my fist. 

“Rin!” Ryuuji shouts desperately. 

“She’s fine,” says Lightning calmly. 

“If someone doesn’t let me out of here soon, I’m going to use my flames on this stupid box!” I threaten loudly. 

“Look! That takes me back, that demon karuta!” Lightning exclaims, ignoring me. 

“Demon karuta?” Ryuuji asks, distracted from my predicament for a moment. There are two little holes in this box that I can see through, and when I shift so that I’m looking out one of them, the demon karuta that they’re talking about seems to be a case of some sort. It almost looks like it could hold a game or something. Suddenly I notice something about my box. When I was holding it, I could have sworn that it was only about 50 cm on all sides. But inside the box, it’s a lot more spacious.  _ It’s bigger on the inside.  _ I can’t really tell exactly how much bigger, but I’m definitely able to sit comfortably in here.  _ I guess I’ll hold off on burning it for now. _

“You don’t know?” Lightning asks Ryuuji, about the demon karuta. Then he begins to explain. “There are picture cards with magic circles and seals drawn on them. Paired with the picture cards, there are reading cards with summoning clauses written on them. First, you spread the picture cards randomly. The reader chants the reading cards. In this version of the game, you must hurry to accurately strike the picture card with the magic circle matching the chanted summoning clause. If you touch the wrong card or if the chant is completed before you touch the right card, a demon will be summoned. They use it a lot in aria certification exams.” I guess I never really thought about how they even  _ did  _ the aria exam. It’s not my goal to become one, after all. 

“Is that so…?” Ryuuji says, intrigued. 

“Do you want to try playing this? It’d be like studying,” offers Lightning. 

“No thanks. I’d rather get Rin out of that box of yours, and finish cleaning up. It’s what I came here to do, after all.”

“Even though you came to clean up, I won’t make you my apprentice, you know? But look, rather than trying to go about it this way, isn’t there a faster and easier way to do it right there?” Ryuuji looks at Lightning questioningly. “The Koma sword,” he says, pointing. “Right now, you’re free to take it.”

_ The Koma…  _ “Hey, wait!” I yell. “You  _ still _ haven’t given up on that?!”  _ No way! I’ve got to get out of here! _

“I’m not going to steal it,” says Ryuuji bluntly. “That sword is something vital for Rin. It’s literally her heart, and one of her vulnerable points. It’s not something I’m going to fool around with.”  _ He really cares about me… My boyfriend is such a good and honest man! _ “Besides, if I did, there’d be at least three people who’d want to kill me for hurting her.”

“How boring,” yawns Lightning. “I thought you’d do it if you seriously wanted to become my apprentice.”

Ryuuji doesn’t answer him. “I’ll clean this up,” is the only thing he says as he bends down to pick up the demon karuta case by the handle. Which turns out to be a mistake, because all sorts of cards spill out of a loosely closed compartment on the side. 

“Ah? Did you perhaps open the reading cards case?” Lightning asks in amusement. “That demon karuta is cursed, you know.”

“Eh?!”

“A long time ago, a powerful aria, who sought strength, wasn’t able to see his own power. They say he went mad, cursed the world, and committed suicide. His ghost possesses the reading cards you see there.” A voice has begun to emit from one of the cards, chanting a summoning command. “Once the reading cards are set loose, it will continue chanting until the game is over. And you’d better hurry. It’s finishing the chant on the first card as we speak.”

Sure enough, it does sound like it’s wrapping things up. “Crap!” Quickly, Ryuuji finds the correct magic circle card and kicks it into the air. Good thing, too, because it looks like he was just on time. 

“Oh! You got it right! As expected!” Lightning praises him. 

“Stop admiring me and do something, would you?!” Ryuuji yells. 

“You came here to clean up, right? I’m leaving it to you, then,” says Lightning calmly. “Now pay attention. It started the chant on the second card, you know?”

And so begins the cycle of the reading cards chanting, Ryuuji finding and striking the correct magic circles, and everything repeating again. 

A part of me wonders if Lightning is testing Ryuuji. Maybe if Ryuuji can show Lightning that he can be of use, he’ll make him his apprentice. But I’m not sure. Lightning said he wanted the Koma sword, for him to make Ryuuji his apprentice. But since Ryuuji doesn’t want to do that, and I wouldn’t let him even if he did, he’s trying to find another way. But is there really a different way to become Lightning’s apprentice? I doubt it. I’ll just see what happens from here. 

A card starts speaking in Latin, and I’m surprised at how fast Ryuuji finds the right magic circle. “Latin, huh? As impressive as always, Ryu!” I cheer from my box. To my surprise, once cram school classes started getting underway, there were a few students who picked up Latin a bit easier than others. Even more surprising was the fact that I found I didn’t even  _ need  _ to learn Latin, because I could somehow understand and speak it just fine as if it were Japanese. I ended up becoming a tutor for everyone else who needed help with it, which shocked more people than just myself.

“Eh? So he’s memorizing languages other than his first language?” Lightning asks in awe. The reading card begins to speak again, and Ryuuji immediately finds and strikes the matching magic circle card. 

“Nice! That was only a single word that time!” I comment. 

“He certainly is awesome,” says Lightning thoughtfully. “Does that mean he also already memorized the location of the cards scattered on the floor? This kid doesn’t only have good ears, but good eyes too.”

“Of course he does. Ryu is one of the best in our class,” I agree proudly. 

“Hmm? You’re not just saying that because you  _ like _ him, are you, Princess Rin? I also notice that you’re the only one who calls him by his first name. Everyone else calls him Suguro or Bon.” Lightning says as Ryuuji takes out magic circle after magic circle. 

“ _ Like _ him? First of all, of course, I  _ like _ him. Our relationship would be pretty awkward if I didn’t like my own boyfriend. But that’s not why I’m saying that he’s one of the best in our class, because that’s reality. He’s strong, gets good grades, and he works harder than most of the rest of us combined. Second of all,  _ don’t  _ call me ‘Princess Rin.’ Just ‘Rin’ is fine.”

“Ah, I see. So he’s that good a student, is he?” Lightning hums in approval. 

“Of course,” I answer proudly. “He’s one of the best in our class.” Before Lightning can comment, though, the reading card starts speaking in a language that Ryuuji apparently doesn’t know. He looks like he’s about to start panicking, but then calms down a little and makes his way toward the pile of guns he saw earlier. “Ryuuji?” I ask in surprise. He grabs one just as the chant finishes and the demon begins to emerge from the circle on the card. Suddenly the demon’s scent hits my nostrils.  _ I recognize that stench.  _ I cover my nose. “Ugh!  _ That’s _ a nostalgic smell!”

“If I recall correctly,” hums Lightning thoughtfully, “that one is the Impure Baron. It’s one of the lowest members of the Impure family, but it’s still an upper-class one.”

“Eat this!” Ryuuji yells as he aims his gun at the Impure Baron, kneeling on the ground. He shoots, but bullets aren’t what come out. Instead, they look like little baby chickens.  _ What kind of a weapon is that?! That’s not even a real gun! It’s a toy! _

Needless to say, it has no effect on the demon. But after a moment, the Impure Baron opens what I assume is his mouth and shoots out what looks like a stream of some sort of white gas. But I know better. I recognize that awful smell. “It’s miasma!” I gag, even though I’m the only one in this room that it won’t harm. Still smells terrible, though, somehow even worse than it did when I fought the Impure King, and I didn’t think that was possible. “Hey, Lightning! Do something already!” He isn’t answering me, though. He has a strange, thoughtful frown on his face as Ryuuji tries out gun after gun, only to find that they’re all toys. “Lightning?”

I look back at Ryuuji’s fight just in time to see the Impure Baron vanish.  _ It’s gone? _ “To make a summoned demon disappear, you destroy the magic circle,” says Lightning, continuing to rip up the card in his hands. He finishes and lets the pieces fall to the floor. “That’s the basics of the basics, right?” Ryuuji is in shock, his mouth hanging open wide. “Also, if you exorcise the ghost possessing the reading cards, you can settle it just like that, you see? I thought you were supposed to be smart. What happened?” Lightning isn’t really saying it with any particular anger or condescension, but Ryuuji is still mortified at his own performance in front of the guy he wants to be the apprentice of. 

“Forgive me…” he whispers. 

“Alright!”  _ That was fast! He forgave him that quickly?! _ “Let’s make you my apprentice.”

“What?! Why?!” Ryuuji demands in surprise, standing so that his eyes are level with Lightning’s.  _ Yeah, why? _ I wonder. 

“You’re a pretty methodical and straightforward guy. I think I might be able to do something with you. But I have a few conditions,” he says as he kneels down next to my box. “When you’re not at school or cram school, you’ll be my attendant. Also, I’m bad at teaching, so the things you want to know, you’ll have to pry out of me yourself. Is that alright?” He opens the box I’ve been imprisoned in, and I climb out, grateful to be able to stand again. Not that it was necessarily uncomfortable in that box, but I’m happy to be free again. 

“Y-yes sir!” He almost sounds like an obedient little puppy.  _ That’s… kinda cute, actually. _

“Then, first,” begins Lightning, “let’s have you continue cleaning up. Go and wash my mountain of clothes, which has started to grow mushrooms from the miasma earlier.” He gestures to said mountain of clothes, and I nearly gag again. Even from here, I can smell them, and they  _ reek _ . 

“Yes, sir!” Ryuuji agrees, accepting the order. 

The sound of Lightning’s stomach growling fills the room. “Ah, I’m hungry. Go and buy me something. A hamburger would be nice.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Hey, I have to make the plans for the next cram school class. Can you do it for me?”

“Uh…” Now he looks like he wants to protest a little. 

“Also, shave my beard. And while you’re at it, wash  _ me _ , too.” I don’t remember moving forward. But I do see my own fist, swinging on its own volition, and slugging Lightning in the face. He falls, and hits the ground hard. 

“My bad, babe,” I growl in apology to Ryuuji. “I ended up punching your master.”

“Don’t worry, hon,” he reassures me, scowling down at where Lightning is crumpled on the ground. “It’s a big help. I just became his apprentice, and even I was about to do it.”

With that done, I don’t have any reason to stay here anymore. I grab Kurikara and sling it over my shoulder. “Well, then, I’m going back home,” I tell Ryuuji. 

“Okay,” he says, nodding once, and starts walking with me to the door. 

“Ugh…” groans Lightning. “Someday, let me touch the Koma sword. Just once, okay?” he begs me. 

“You’re annoying,” I scoff, irritated that he’s still so obsessed with it. I turn away from the door a little so that I’m looking him in the eye as he gets up. “Do you really like demons that much?”

“Yeah! Even if I can’t help being scared, it’s unbearable to not get close. It’s almost like passionate love.”

“As I thought, you really are a pervert!” I accuse him. 

He laughs. “I don’t deny it!”

I think back to what he said the other day. “ _ I don’t have any grandiose ambition or dream. I don’t have an especially dark past, or an enemy I must take revenge against.” _ Hm… “So even someone like him can be strong,” I mutter. 

“That’s right,” Lightning grins. 

“I see,” I say as I step out the door and Ryuuji follows a little. “Good for you, Ryu,” I congratulate him. “Give it your all!”

“I will!” he promises, and kisses me goodbye. I make sure it’s a good, long one. Might not be doing this again for a while. 

As I leave, I faintly hear Lightning say, “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you from your girlfriend too long tonight. You can go and warm her bed soon enough. Just don’t let the paladin know what you’re doing to his little girl. That man has a serious soft spot for his daughter.”

“Shut up!” Ryuuji shouts. “I usually go back to my  _ own  _ dorm at night!”

“‘Usually,’ huh…? And what about when you don’t?”

I chuckle a little as I walk out of the building. He’s going to be fine. I know it. He’ll be good at this apprentice job. 

“ _ Rin! _ ” I can see my little cat sith on the pillar at the end of the outside stairs. 

“Kuro! Hey, buddy, what’s up?”

“ _ You’re late! I was hungry, so I came to pick you up! _ ”

I smile apologetically at him. “Sorry about that. I guess it is kinda late. There are sashimi leftovers in the refrigerator. Is it okay if I make dukedon?”

“ _ Yay! _ ” Kuro shouts in my head, jumping onto my shoulders. 

“Did Yukio come home?” I ask. 

“ _ No, he hasn’t come back. _ ”

“I see…” I’m worried about him.  _ What does he do? Where does he go? What’s with all these late nights? And why won’t he tell me, his own twin sister, anything about what’s going on with him? _


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji cuts his hair, Yukio experiments, Rin goes on a job with Shiemi that doesn’t end well, and Mephisto calls the twins to his office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter, but I feel like it should come with a warning.  
> There is a suicide attempt in this chapter. It is all in the name of science (Yukio isn’t depressed or anything), but if stuff like this triggers you then one you see it change to Yukio’s POV you should scroll quickly past to Rin’s POV.  
> I hope this warning helps, and I think this is the only one I’ll need (I’ll have to check the rest of the chapters I’ve written to be sure).  
> Enjoy!

Rin POV

“Ryu! Wanna go to Ponchan?”

“There’s no cram school today, so let’s study for exams!”

“And have monjayaki at the same time!”

It’s been a few weeks since Ryuuji became Lightning’s apprentice. Konekomaru, Renzo, and I are talking to him on my phone, which is on speaker so everyone can hear his response to the invitation to our favorite restaurant. 

_ “Sounds good! I’ll be along as soon as I finish the master’s business!” _ There’s a tiny  _ uh oh! _ from Lightning in the background.  _ “What?”  _ Lightning says something else, something that sounds like he’s about to miss a deadline.  _ “Huh?! Give me a break!” _ Ryuuji shouts at his master.  _ “I wrote it on your schedule, didn’t I?! And I reminded you a gazillion times!” _ It sounds like Lightning is trying to apologize, but Ryuuji cuts him off.  _ “No! I’ll just put in a call! Sorry!” _ He returns his attention to us for a moment.  _ “My master’s in a jam! Gotta run! Study hard!” _ With a  _ click _ , he hangs up on us. 

I stare at my phone, now lifeless and silent in my hand. “He’s a lot busier than I thought he’d be…”

“He’s practically Lightning’s  _ manager _ now!” Renzo complains loudly.

I understand how Renzo feels. I don’t see my boyfriend as often as I would like to anymore. He’s always with Lightning.  _ What would we do or talk about, though, if we had some leisure time together? All the things he has to do for Lightning? No, he would probably want to get away from that topic as much as possible when he’s not with his master. _

“Let’s see…” I mutter, scanning my book. “Joshua 24:25… Is this it? Here?” I ask Konekomaru, lifting up the book and showing him from across the table, pointing at the passage with my finger. 

“Yeah,” he confirms after he looks at it. “There.”

“Okay, got it,” I say. I begin reading aloud quietly to myself. “‘That day in Shechem, Joshua made a…’ What’s Shechem?” 

“I don’t know,” Konekomaru admits. “I need to study more, but this isn’t going well.”

Renzo sighs loudly. “Bon comes in handy at times like these,” he complains. “I  _ hate _ flipping through scripture…”

“He memorizes verses and knows the meaning and history…” Konekomaru continues longingly. 

“And he’s a good teacher, and…”

“Are you still grumbling?” I interrupt Renzo, still scanning the passage in my book. “Give it up. Ryuuji is Lightning’s manager now.”

But Renzo just about explodes. “Bon?! Someone’s manager?!” he shouts. 

“You’re still pretty hung up on that, huh?” I look up at him in curiosity. Even though  _ he  _ was the first to say it. 

“He’s turned over a new leaf and even shaved his head!” Renzo complains loudly. 

“He didn’t shave his head,” I tell him, a little exasperated at his exaggeration. 

“Same difference!”

“Anyway, I still think it looks cool,” I admit with a tiny smile. 

“Of course only his  _ girlfriend  _ would think that! But one shaved head is enough around here!” He points at Konekomaru’s shaved head. Koneko is sitting silently next to him, only listening to our conversation. “Bon! The bald-headed manager!”

“Shima, we can’t rely on Bon all the time,” argues Konekomaru rationally. “That’s why I… I… uh…” He blushes nervously. “I’m studying system development.”  _ He’s… what? For real? _ “I’ve collated battle data on demons, but I need a way to utilize it. So I’m thinking about creating a smartphone app that would employ image recognition of demons and call up their weaknesses or fatal verses in battle, for people who can’t memorize things like Bon. I’ve neglected studying for the exams because I’m focused on that.”

“You’re amazing for coming up with all that!” I praise him. “That sounds super useful!”

“Well…” he admits bashfully. “It’s just an aid, so we still have to study. But I’ll do my best!”

“You’re moving on to new things, eh, Konekomaru?” Renzo asks. “Everyone’s headed down separate paths, and so am I. I have to accept that.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “And your path is the most messed up. Of all you humans, that is.” I still have it worse than he does, as I happen to be on death row if I can’t pass the exorcist authorization exam, but Renzo is a traitor and a double spy. He works for the Illuminati  _ and  _ the True Cross Order, the forces trying to destroy and save Assiah, respectively. He just barely earned some of our trust back, but I, personally, am still unsure about exactly where his loyalties truly lie. He says he’s on neutral ground, which is something that could potentially both help and hurt us if and when everything is at stake. But I don’t want to think about that now. He’s not planning any schemes at the moment, he’s studying with us in this little restaurant. 

Renzo giggles. “The truth is, I’ve given up on becoming an aria. I think I’ll take the exams for knight and tamer. I didn’t think I’d come back here, so I wasn’t serious before, but here I am, so I’m going to try harder!”

“Shima…” gasps Konekomaru, amazed. It’s as if we’re not even talking to the real Renzo anymore. 

“But man, studying  _ sucks _ !” And there he is again. 

“Oh! I’m glad you’re still here,” says a voice, and we all look around to see Ryuuji here. I’m still getting used to his new haircut. It’s no longer dyed, instead being its natural dark brown, and it’s a lot shorter, just about shaved on the sides/back and only a centimeter or two on top. But I still like it. It suits him. He plops down next to me, opposite of Konekomaru and Renzo, and kisses me on the cheek in greeting. “I’m starving! I’ll have a large yakisoba!” he calls out to the wait staff. “Monjayaki won’t fill me up!”

“Bon!” Renzo cries desperately. “You gotta help us study!”

“We’ve been waiting!” I contribute, shoving my book under his nose. “What’s Shechem?”

He flinches in surprise. “What’s  _ wrong _ with you people?! Shechem is a place! Today, it’s called Neblus, in Palestine. It’s a holy site in Judaism. You guys are hopeless. Show me the verse!”

“Bon! You’re so kind!”

“Maybe you were  _ always _ cut out to be a manager…”

  
  


Yukio POV

I stand on top of the decrepit old building, gazing at the night scene that is True Cross Academy. But I didn’t come here for the view.  _ I need to know true fear.  _ After hesitating a moment, I step over the railing that stands between my safety and the oblivion.  _ And be prepared to die.  _

I look down at the ground, separated from me by an eight-story building. “A fall from this height is sure to kill me,” I murmur to myself.  _ But even if it doesn’t, and Rin finds out, she’s going to be the one to kill me. _ I don’t know whether I’m just being realistic, if I’m trying to convince myself to do it, or if I’m trying to stop myself from doing it. But if I do jump…  _ If the power in my eyes doesn’t awaken, I’m dead for sure. Definitely.  _ I’d be lying if I said I’m not scared right now. I’m terrified.  _ It’s been weeks and I still don’t have the courage… and I might not even come back again.  _ My heart is pounding.  _ Do I want to spend my whole life in fear of my origins and the Illuminati? Would I just be better off not knowing?  _ _ No! _ I tell myself firmly.  _ So prepare yourself! I must do this. I must…  _

I squeeze my eyes shut, dangle one leg off the edge of the building, lean forward slightly, and let go of the railing. I plummet toward the ground, gathering speed as I fall. If this doesn’t work, I am going to die. My eyes snap open.  _ No! I’m scared… I’m scared… I’m so scared! I don’t want to die! _ Suddenly I see a vision of Shima.  _ Why am I seeing him? _ The vision of Shima is followed by one of Rin.  _ So I’m seeing the people I love most? Is that what happens when someone is about to die?  _ _ I’ve heard that people are most honest when they are about to die, so, right now, am I admitting to myself that I am in love with Shima? _ Rin has always accused me of that, but she has always been right, as well. My vision of Rin turns and looks at me, and the last thing I can see is the accusation in her blue eyes. Then there’s a blinding flash of light, and then nothing. 

I groan as I open my eyes. I’m lying in the middle of a shallow pit of blue flames. I sit up, on my knees.  _ What… what happened? Was I unconscious just now?  _ “Why?!” I yell, slamming my fist into the ground in frustration.  _ But…  _ something  _ definitely happened. My eyes  _ do  _ protect me. Knowing that makes risking my life worthwhile.  _

But I will never do this kind of thing again. I will never have to. I still want to know how my eyes work, what exactly it is that protects me and why, but something tells me that trying to find out would be a bad idea. I should probably tell someone about this. Sir Pheles. My sister. Shura. Father. I suppose I have a few people I can go to. 

But before I can decide, the buzzing of my phone in my pocket registers in my brain. Still shaken up by my almost-suicide, I answer. “Yes?”

  
  


Rin POV

“Rin!” Shiemi calls, running toward me. “Sorry! Class finished late!”

“No problem,” I reassure her. “I just got here a few minutes ago.”

We’ve been called out for a job, as support for exorcists who are already working hard enough as it is. The two of us head out. 

“It’s been a while since we had a mission together,” I say as we walk, fondly remembering our time at the amusement park. Even if it didn’t end so well for me because of Amaimon, it was still nice to spend time with my friend. 

“Yeah!” Shiemi agrees. 

“Oh,  _ there  _ you are!” We look around to see the exorcist who called out to us. “So you girls are the support esquires, huh?” he asks. 

“Yes sir!” we respond in unison. 

“I’m junior exorcist first class Kawanaka,” he introduces himself. “We’re short-handed, so thanks!” As he leads us to the location of our mission, he gives us our instructions. “Coal tars have infested a house. You’ll be cleaning it out.”

But the house, when we arrive, turns out to be… well… “They ought to just tear it down and rebuild it,” I comment. It looks like it’s been through a natural disaster. 

“Well, our client is crazy about old houses,” Kawanaka tries to defend it. “We have to exorcise the demons without making a scratch.”  _ Old houses? This is just a wreck! Would anyone even notice if it got damaged a little more?  _ “I took a look around. The coal tar Lord Koks isn’t here, but they’re multiplying in great numbers. Here’s a holy water dispenser, and six spare tanks,” he says, throwing the items on the ground in front of us. “That should be enough, right? The place is falling apart, so be careful. Okay, later!” With a final salute, he takes off in the opposite direction. 

“Huh?!”

“It’s just us?”

“I’ve got another job! This’ll be easy! If anything happens, just call!” And then he’s gone. 

“Woah…” I mutter. 

“The exorcists can barely keep up anymore…” comments Shiemi. 

_ Oh, well. _ We collect our holy water dispensers and tanks and go inside the house. The coal tars are everywhere. “Ugh, there’re a lot of them,” I grumble in disgust. 

“Rin, are you alright with holy water?” Shiemi asks, concerned. 

“Yeah. As a spray, it just stings a little.” It’s not like this small amount of holy water will kill me. It hurts, yeah, but I’ll be alright. Even if it does burn me, I’ll just heal right away. Shiemi puts her bag down, and we get started. 

“Hey, Shiemi?” I say, trying to make conversation as we spray the holy water and clear out the coal tars. “What meister are you trying for?” In my opinion, she could be either a doctor or a tamer, or maybe both. But I’m curious to know what she wants to do. 

“Huh? What about you?” she asks. 

“I’m going to be a knight,” I tell her. “My sword is all I’ve got.”

“Oh… that’s what you’ve always wanted,” she remembers. “But I’m still thinking!”

Suddenly I feel something. I freeze, concentrating, and realize that we’re not alone. Shiemi’s back bumps into mine, and I can feel her questioning eyes on my face. “Something’s in here,” I explain. “I can sense it below. It might be Lord Koks.”

“Then we should go outside and call Captain Kawanaka,” suggests Shiemi.

“But it’s only Lord Koks! He’s just a big blob of coal tars. I can take care of him easily.” I step forward, but then the floor shifts, and I’m falling. I scream in surprise and terror. Shiemi’s scream follows mine. 

I open my eyes. I wasn’t unconscious, but I instinctively shut my eyes when my body made impact with the ground below. My guess is that I’m in the basement of this wreck of a house. 

I take a moment to assess the damage to my body. My entire left side stings. Badly. I look down at myself, and notice that parts of my clothes on my left side are torn and what I can see of my skin is burned. Then I notice the busted tank next to me. I was holding the tank of holy water when I fell, and it must have broken when it hit the ground. It stings a lot, but it’ll heal in no time. My blazer, shirt, skirt, and leggings are all ruined, but I have more at home and these will last until I can get there and change (at least I’m still covered where it matters and my clothes will stay on my body securely enough for me to get a new set).  _ But on my right side… _ I don’t have time to finish that thought as Shiemi wakes up beside me, groaning. 

“Ow… that hurt…” she mutters. Suddenly her eyes widen as she notices the state I’m in. “Rin… are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine. These burns from the holy water will heal up in no time, but my leg… that’ll probably take a little bit longer.” I try to sound a little optimistic, but even I know that it’s pointless to try to calm her down when I’m in this condition. 

“There’s a piece of wood stuck in your leg!” she cries. “And you’re bleeding! What should we do?! Nii and my medical stuff are above!”

‘Piece of wood’ is a vast understatement. It’s more like an actual wooden beam is stuck in my thigh, but I let it be ‘piece of wood’ since that sounds better, less life-threatening. 

“Don’t worry,” I say as softly and calmly as I can. “My leg will heal once this piece of wood is out, and the burns from the holy water are already gone. What about you? Are you injured?”

“No, I’m fine!”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m glad this didn’t happen to you.” If it had, she’d probably be out of commission for a long time. 

“Still, though… we should call for help. Do you have your phone?”

“Yeah.” I open it.  _ This isn’t good. _ “No service.”  _ Big shock. _

“We fell down pretty far.”

The only thing preventing us from moving right now is this beam in my right thigh. I follow the beam up with my eyes, and take a look at the structure around us. It looks very delicate. “I can’t remove this thing from my leg, or the whole place will come crashing down on us,” I tell Shiemi grimly. 

So the only thing we can do is call for help. We yell and scream for someone, anyone, until our voices are sore, but no one comes. 

An hour has passed since we fell down here. We called for help multiple times since then, but to no effect. Either no one can hear us, no one cares, or everyone just thinks this place is haunted. I wouldn’t blame them if they did. This place isn’t exactly welcoming. 

The whole time, I’m in a considerable amount of pain.  _ Who wouldn’t be, with a beam stuck in their leg? _ I’ve gotten used to the pain, though, so it doesn’t bother me as much as it did before, but I still need to get this wood out of my leg. It’s the only thing preventing me from healing and getting us out of this place. But it’s getting dark outside and in here. 

“The captain will be back soon,” promises Shiemi soothingly. “So hang in there, Rin.”

“Sorry about this,” I apologize solemnly, not looking at her. “It’s my fault. I always do stuff like this, and Yukio gets angry.”

Shiemi giggles. “Yeah! If Yuki were here, he’d say, ‘Riiinnn!’ Like that!”

I flinch. “How did you make that voice?!”  _ She sounded just like my brother! _

“I bet he’s worried about you right now,” she tells me. “My mother is probably worried too. Family members worry about each other.” I know that better than I would like to. Yukio is hiding something from me, and I’m worried that it’s dangerous.  _ What won’t he tell me? And  _ why _ won’t he tell me? I’m his twin sister, we should be telling each other everything! _ Shiemi breaks me out of my thoughts by shivering. “Brr! The sun went down, so it’s cold. Rin, aren’t you…” She stops talking as she sees how I’m holding out my left hand and summoning a literal handful of my flames. This should keep us from freezing. She reaches her hands toward mine, toward my flames, and gasps. “Wow! It’s warm!”

“It’ll heat you up. Come on over here,” I tell her. The closer she is, the warmer she’ll get. She ends up rolling right into me, bumping into my side. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but she jostles my whole body, which includes my impaled leg, and it sends a fresh wave of pain through me. I gasp in agony. 

“Sorry!” Shiemi apologizes.

“I’m fine! Don’t worry!” I’m not fine. My leg has been impaled. 

Once I stop wincing, Shiemi leans her weight gently against me. “It’s pretty,” she says sweetly. I look down at her, and she has a dreamy look in her eyes, which are reflecting the blueness of my flames. “Rin… I like your flame. It’s warm and soothing.” She gazes up at me, smiling softly. “I really like you.”

I can’t help but return the smile. “I really like you too,” I tell her sincerely. 

She blushes and looks away, covering her face in embarrassment. “Thank you! I’m so happy!”

“I mean, it’d be pretty weird if we didn’t like each other. We’re friends.” I switch my flames to my right hand and put my left arm around her shoulders in a hug, resting my cheek on the top of her head. “Actually, you’re more like the sister I’ve never had, Shiemi.”

A happy tear slides down her cheek. “And you’re like mine. You’re a special friend to me, Rin.”

I hug her closer. “Thank you, Shiemi.” We sit in silence for a few minutes, cuddled just like that. In the meantime, I think about something.  _ I wonder… No. It’d be a bad idea to address that topic now.  _ I was about to ask Shiemi what her feelings were for Izumo, but something tells me that I shouldn’t force them too much. I know they care about each other immensely, ever since they planned to go to the festival dance together, but matchmaking is going to have to wait for a better time and place.

Suddenly we’re surrounded. “Coal tars?” Shiemi says in surprise. 

“They’re coming from below,” I notice. “Are they infesting the ground?”

“If so, there must be tons of them! In that case, it could be Lord Koks!” Shiemi suggests. 

“Tch! I didn’t want to have to do this!” But I don’t have a choice but to torch the place with my flames. The thought did cross my mind to do this an hour ago, but since the client’s needs must also be met and the house was to sustain minimal damage, I held off. But now, I have no other options. On one hand, the coal tars and the presence I felt earlier are gone. I’m also free from the beam that was in my leg and I can heal now. On the other hand, the house is burning to the ground because of me, and the client probably isn’t going to be happy about it. 

Shiemi and I get outside, with her supporting me since I can’t quite stand on my own yet, and she helps me to the curb so I can sit and heal while Kawanaka, who has finally arrived and is panicking about what I’ve done, calls the fire department. 

My bone and muscles haven’t even fully knitted themselves back together when my phone comes to life in my pocket. “What the…?”

I grumpily slam the door of Mephisto’s office behind me. “Yeah? What do you want?” I demand, scowling. Walking all the way here on a still-healing leg was not fun. It hurt a lot, actually. I’m fully regenerated now, but still. Then I see the other person in the room. “Yukio?”  _ What’s my brother doing here? _

“Rin? What  _ happened  _ to you? How’d you ruin your clothes like that?” Yukio asks in surprise. 

“Just a bit of holy water that splashed on me and burned my skin. Oh, and then there was a huge wooden beam that impaled my leg. It’s totally fine, though. Don’t worry about me,” I explain sourly, my voice dripping heavily with sarcasm. “Anyway, what’s up with  _ you _ ? You look like you’ve had a brush with death.” There’s something about the look in his eyes that I don’t quite like. He looks like he’s just had a huge scare, something that doesn’t come from someone jumping out and shouting at him. 

“Rin,” Mephisto addresses me from his desk. “Come here.” I do as he says, and he gets straight to the point. “Ms. Kirigakure has been missing since yesterday. Do either of you have any idea where she is?”

“No,” Yukio and I answer in unison. 

“Oh? Well, I do!” Mephisto says in a cutesy, teasing, tone. 

“Then why did you call us?!”

“Because I want you to go to Aomori and find her!”

_ He wants us to go  _ where _?! Why is Shura all the way out in Aomori? Is she in trouble? _


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins take a train trip to Aomori, Yukio has a theory about Rin, no one can pronounce Yukio’s name, and Rin gets Yukio to open up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! I have to admit, writing the innkeeper was both fun and awkward. The bath scene took a while, since I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do, but I think I made the right choice with my changes. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think!

Rin POV 

Yukio and I both stare at Mephisto silently for several seconds while we process what he just said. “Why do you want us to go to Aomori?” Yukio finally asks. 

“Don’t you know?” Mephisto teases, smirking. “Ms. Kirigakure is from Aomori prefecture. Besides, the last time we confirmed her location via the GPS in her cell phone, she was in Aomori at Hachinohe station. She’s missed two days of work. She may be in trouble.” He looks and sounds vaguely annoyed. “She’s good with a demon sword, but I’m worried.” For him to say that, we’re probably in legitimate trouble. “I want you to track her from Hachinohe station.”

“Sure,” I agree, shrugging my shoulders. I’ll gladly do it for Shura. After all, she’s kinda my mentor when it comes to using Kurikara. 

“Does this mission require both of us to go?” Yukio complains. “I’m sure I can handle it alone, and it may be easier to move without my sister.”

“What?! Are you trying to ditch me, Yukio?!” I accuse him crossly. 

“Mr. Okumura,” warns Mephisto. “Don’t argue. This is an order.”

“But…” Yukio begins to protest. 

“According to one of my sources, you have been engaging in some dangerous training,” says Mephisto knowingly. 

_ Yukio has been… engaging in  _ what _?! _ “Dangerous training?” I look up at his face. I can hardly believe it, but the look on my brother’s face is all I need to know it’s true. Suddenly I realize that I’m looking a bit too far  _ up _ at my brother.  _ What the… is he getting taller? When did  _ that _ happen?! _

“S-Sir Pheles!” Yukio stammers, immediately getting flustered. “What are you—”

“Training itself is not a problem,” admits Mephisto, shrugging with a sheepish grin on his face. “But do not endanger your life. Overwork is poison to the body. Use this trip to blow off some steam with your sister!”   
  


“Aomori, huh?” I muse aloud, fascinated as I study the brochure in my hands. The train rumbles beneath us. “I heard it’s famous for its apples. Oh! Look, Yukio! Hachinohe City has a harbor! I wanna visit this market called Hasshoku Center! We can grill shrimp and oysters!”

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” Yukio groans from his seat beside mine. The two of us are on a trip to Aomori, and honestly, it’s kinda nice to spend some time with just my brother.  _ It’s still a mission, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves.  _

“Hm? Why should I be? We were ordered to blow off steam!”

“Yes, but our main focus is finding Shura,” argues Yukio. 

“My dear brother Yukio, are you implying that you don’t want to spend time with me?” I accuse. 

“Well, no, but we do have a mission, and that takes priority.”

“I know! But there’s nothing we can do about that until we get there, so let’s get ready by eating these bentos from the station!” I pull out the bentos and put Yukio’s on the tray in front of him. Suddenly something catches my eye out the window. “Snow?”

We finish our bentos, and then I ask Yukio something that’s been on my mind ever since Mephisto’s office. “Hey, Yukio? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“What’s wrong?” Fear flashes in his eyes for only a moment, but it’s enough for me to notice it. 

_ He’s afraid I’m going to ask about his dangerous training. Well, I will, but not yet.  _ “Look, this might seem like a strange question, but are you… getting taller?” It’s been bugging me ever since I noticed. 

“Taller?” He visibly relaxes. 

“I just don’t remember having to crane my neck so much to look you in the eye. Does that sound right to you?”

He takes a deep breath. “Actually, it does.”  _ Huh? _ “I have a theory about you, Rin, and I don’t know if you’re going to like it.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s this theory of yours?” I ask skeptically.  _ What could he possibly have come up with? What could he possibly say that hasn’t been thrown at me already? _

“I think you’ve stopped aging,” he tells me bluntly. 

_ Wait, what? _ “Where would you get an idea like that?” I demand.  _ How could I stop aging? _

He sighs. “Rin, when was the last time you actually shaved your legs?”

“How is  _ that _ relevant?”

“Just answer the question.”

I think about it. “I dunno… Right before that job interview I was supposed to have before I found out I’m a demon?”

“Right. And they’re still as smooth as that day, aren’t they? Even without you shaving them. And I’m guessing the last time you menstruated was before the interview as well, wasn’t it?”  _ He’s right. It was. _ A memory resurfaces, and I think I told him this once before, when we were rescuing Kuro. “And this would explain something else, too. You’re not growing taller at all. And if you compare a photo of us from before that incident and now, I think you’ll see that I’ve changed some, but you look exactly the same.”

“Do you at least have a theory as to  _ why _ I’m not aging?” I can’t believe this.  _ Am I really not getting older? Will I remain in a fifteen-year-old body forever? _

“Actually, yes. I believe it has to do with your demonic regeneration. If you get hurt, you automatically heal. I think the same thing applies to your appearance. You age, you regenerate. It’s a constant thing. Little by little, you maintain your youthful appearance and energy.”

“I see… But aging doesn’t mean being injured, so there’s no reason for me to regenerate,” I argue. 

“Maybe so, but there’s no proof for or against that theory. However, be that as it may, and following that line of reasoning,” he says, smirking a little, “that means that now I’m the older—”

“No it doesn’t!” I snap. I know where he’s going with this. He thinks he’s the older twin now that my body has stopped changing. 

“I’m just saying, since I’m the one who’s actually aging…”

“I was still born first, you four-eyed mole-face! You’re  _ not  _ the older twin!” I flick his forehead. 

“Ouch!” But he chuckles, knowing he’s gotten on my nerves. He falls into an amused silence after that, but my mind is all but as idle as my brother’s mouth.  _ Not… aging. _ I don’t say another word for the rest of the train ride, trying to come to terms with what that means for me. 

_ One thing’s for certain: if Yukio’s right, I’m going to look fifteen years old forever, and if that happens, I’ll only ever be treated like a kid until the day I’m killed, because certainly I will never die of natural causes. Right? I’ve never even been sick a day in my life, so illness is out, and old age is evidently impossible now, so I’d have to be murdered in order to die. Kudos to whoever can put me six feet under, since with my regeneration I’m not going to be killed that easily, that’s for sure. _

When we arrive at Aomori, Yukio and I ask around the station to see if anyone has spotted Shura. 

“Excuse us,” says my brother, holding out his exorcist ID, “we’re exorcists.”

“Yucky-oh Okumura?” the man reads, mispronouncing my twin’s name. 

“Pfft!” I snort in laughter quietly behind Yukio’s back. 

“It’s  _ Yukio _ ,” he corrects the man. He holds out his tablet, which has a photo of Shura on it. “We’re looking for a missing comrade. Have you seen this woman?”

“Um, no. I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thank you.”

We ask a few more people, but their answers are more or less the same. They haven’t seen her.

Finally we talk to a cab driver, who also butchers my twin’s name. “Yucky-oh?”

“It’s  _ Yukio _ .”

“Yeah, I gave her a ride. I took her up near Lake Towada.”

Yukio and I exchange a look. We now have a lead.    
  


The cab driver drops us off at the Lake Towada tourist center. The building is old and the paint is cracked, but I love how the style of it has such a classic Japanese aesthetic. 

We walk around a little while, and see the lake. It’s beautiful, even in winter. I’d love to come back in the summer some time and see it then. 

When it starts getting dark, we find an inn to stay at for the night. 

“Excuse us!” Yukio calls, once we’ve chosen one and gone inside. 

“This place is kinda creepy,” I mutter, looking around. I don’t see anyone, and this inn is clearly pretty old. 

“Is anyone here?”

A long moment passes before someone answers him. “Yes… yes… I’m here,” says a creaky old voice from the shadows. A tiny old woman emerges. “Will you be checking in?”

Whatever Yukio was expecting the innkeeper to be, it certainly wasn’t this ancient woman. “Well, um… do you have a room for two?”

“Yes… I have plenty of rooms.”

“Then we’d like to stay.”

The old lady gets us checked in and takes us to our room. “You two came from Tokyo for sightseeing? In this dreary season?” she asks as she leads us down the hall. 

“Yeah!” I tell her cheerfully. I figure it would be best to play the tourist card for now. “I love how beautiful snow can make a scenery. Do you have an outdoor bath?” I ask the woman. 

“Yes, we do.” She seems all too happy to answer my question. 

“Rin, don’t forget that we’re not just here for pleasure,” my brother reminds me. 

“Yes, yes…” the old woman says. “You don’t need to pretend. Folks do as they please, these days. I’m not one to judge, even if some might think you’re a bit young.”

_ Huh? _ Yukio and I exchange identical confused looks.  _ What’s this woman talking about? _

The innkeeper sets us up in a room with a lake view and offers to reserve us a private bath. She says it’s so no one will judge or disturb us. 

_ Judge? _ Suddenly I realize exactly what she means.  _ She thinks that Yukio and I are… I mean, we don’t exactly look alike, what with his glasses, moles, and brown hair, but she couldn’t even consider the possibility that we’re related? _ I glance at my brother, but he doesn’t seem to understand, so I decide to ignore her comment and drag Yukio to the outdoor bath.    
  


I settle into the water beside my twin. “Ah… I love outdoor baths,” I moan happily. Especially in winter. The hot water mixed with the cold snow falling on me is just so…  _ exhilarating _ . 

“I’m exhausted…” groans Yukio, his hand on his forehead and his eyes closed. “And why did we have to bathe together?”

“Because, you prude, it’s high time we had some sibling bonding, and taking a bath is the best way to do that. C’mere. Let me scrub your back.”

“No thank you!” Yukio snaps, blushing as he flares at me. 

“Don’t be like that, Yukio,” I pout. “Fine, then, let’s talk. What’s all this ‘dangerous training’ that Mephisto was talking about? What exactly are you doing? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Rin. It’s nothing, just shooting practice. Don’t worry about it, it’s none of your business,” he insists, trying to dismiss my concerns, but I’m not having it.

“No, it  _ is _ my business” I argue. “We’re siblings, Yukio. Isn’t it our job to worry about each other? Now, what exactly are you doing? Just how dangerous is this training of yours?”

But he just looks away from me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Then let me take a guess,” I offer. “Because I’m pretty sure it’s not just shooting practice. If it were, you wouldn’t be hiding it so carefully. No, you’re worried about what others will think if they found out. Yukio… you…” My eyes widen in shock as I realize something. “You’re putting your life in danger, aren’t you? Is this why you’re hiding it? So you won’t be taken away for the reason you’re doing it?” 

“Rin…”

“Please,” I beg, feeling the unfamiliar pressure of tears behind my eyes. “Just tell me why. I’m not as stupid and weak as you think I am. I can handle it. I want to  _ help _ you, Yuki.”

Yukio’s eyes widen when he sees my expression. “Don’t cry,” he pleads. “I can’t stand to see you cry. But I promise, there’s nothing  _ to _ help anymore,” he insists. “I’m done with it. And no one else is going to know.”

“But why shouldn’t they? Mephisto’s already got someone spying on you. Five hundred yen says it’s Renzo,” I bet. “Whether you like it or not, people care about you, Yuki. From the sound of it, I’m guessing this is also something you want to keep from the Vatican, so it’s not just a personal problem. But whatever it is will leak out eventually, thanks to the clown and your boyfriend. Heck, even the Illuminati might know by now, if it was Renzo spying on you!” I’m getting more and more worked up. I’m just so frustrated that Yukio doesn’t trust anyone, even his own twin. “So just tell me! Why are you doing this?! What can I do to help?!”

Yukio sighs. “Fine,” he relents. “But you have to promise me that you will not repeat what I’m about to say, especially not to the other esquires. I will tell Father, too, when the time is right, but on my own terms. Are we clear?” 

I nod. “Crystal. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”  _ I can’t believe he’s finally going to tell me. _

He takes a deep breath and begins. “There’s something wrong with my eyes.”  _ His eyes? _ He sees my questioning look and continues. “It started a few months back. Remember when we fought Todou in that alley filled with miasma, after we found out that he was a traitor?” I remember him. He’s the one who stole the eyes of the Impure King. “He was about to kill me, but… my eyes did something that protected me. You were preoccupied with that little kid at the time, and based off your reaction, I’m guessing you didn’t see it.” He’s right. I didn’t see it. I heard a commotion, but assumed it was just a part of their fight and ignored it in favor of the child’s safety. “Same thing happened a few days later in Kyoto. Then again, when we were fighting those zombies at that lab when we saved Kamiki.” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. But what  _ am _ I hearing?

“Yukio,” I say slowly. “What exactly do your eyes do to protect you?”

I’m afraid to know the answer. But he says it anyway. “They create a sort of force field… of blue flames.”

_ No! Not him too! _ “But how?! You’re human!”

“I know I am,” he snaps. “But… it’s kind of like… you’ve got your sword, and I’ve got my shield. But I can’t control it, and it only comes out when my life is in serious danger. So my training has been centered around that, and I’ve been inducing true fear in the only way I knew how, but in a controlled environment for my experiments.” He laughs bitterly. “Yeah, I’m human, but clearly I’m not an ordinary one. I mean, I’ve got  _ you _ as my twin sister, don’t I?”

“Yukio… does this mean that your so-called training… has been attempting to commit suicide? How could you do that?” I stand up, and wade through the hot water until I’ve reached my sibling. Then I sit down next to him and pull him into a hug. “I don’t know what’s happening to you. I don’t know what this power in your eyes is. I don’t know if you’ve inherited Satan’s flames like I have. But we can figure it out. Right? I just… I don’t want to lose you.”

“I’ve been trying to figure it out,” he promises as he wraps his arms around me in return. “The training I’ve been doing, the experiments I’ve been trying, they all centered around putting my own life in danger so I could find out more. That seems to be the common denominator here. But even though I’ve been successful in activating my eyes once, I still have no information about how it works. Anyway, I’m done with all that. I know that if my life is in danger, I’ll be protected.”

“Yukio, when we get back, let’s talk to Mephisto,” I suggest. “He might know something about how it works and he could probably help. He’s technically our older brother, you know. If this has something to do with you possibly inheriting Satan’s powers too, or if it’s Satan himself, he might be able to tell us something. And we need to tell Dad as soon as possible. He has to know about this.”

My brother is silent for a few seconds. “Okay,” he murmurs into my shoulder. “We can talk to Sir Pheles. But not Father. Not yet, anyway. I’m not ready to face him.” We stay in our embrace for a few minutes before he speaks again. “So… um… what have you been up to lately, Rin?”

I guess it  _ is _ time for a subject change. “Not much. I went on a mission with Shiemi recently, and I almost asked her if she was in love with Izumo. But I figured that it wasn’t the right time.”

And in spite of our previous conversation, Yukio chuckles. “Always the matchmaker, aren’t you, Rin? But I guess even you know when to let things take their course.” 

“I guess so,” I agree. “I wanted to ask because those two obviously have a thing for each other. I’m pretty sure Izumo knows perfectly well that she likes Shiemi, but Shiemi’s absolutely clueless when it comes to love. Kinda like you, actually,” I tease, poking him in the ribs. 

“Rin, would you stop trying to get me and Shima together already?” Yukio groans. “Either it will happen or it won’t. And just so you know, I’m  _ not _ totally clueless when it comes to love. I may be ace, but I do have such a thing as romantic attraction.”

“Oh?” I smirk. “And what, may I ask,  _ is  _ your romantic orientation?”

He groans. “I’m homoromantic,” he mutters, staring into the water. 

I laugh loudly. “I knew it!” I giggle. With a loud  _ smack! _ I kiss Yukio’s cheek and rustle his hair. “So Renzo  _ does _ have a chance with you!”

Yukio wriggles out of my grasp and splashes me in the face with water. “Come on, Rin!” he complains. 

I sit, stunned a little by the water that has hit me in the face. Then my lips curl up into a sly, toothy grin. “You’ve done it now, Yuki,” I hiss mischievously. Then, with no warning, I drag my open palm through the surface of our pool and drench his entire torso, head included. 

He sighs. “Okay, I deserved that,” he admits. Surprisingly, he doesn’t retaliate. “Come on. We should probably get out soon and go back to our room. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we need our rest.”

“Fair enough,” I agree. 

I yawn widely. I had bad dreams and didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m still tired. The snow outside is also worse than it was yesterday, so I have more than one reason to want to go back to bed. 

“Today, we’ll search around the lake,” Yukio decides. It’s time to find Shura, and my twin is planning out our entire day. 

“Yes, master,” I groan tiredly. There’s a knock at the door. “Come in,” I say, yawning. 

“Good morning,” the old lady greets us, sliding open the door. “I brought your breakfast.”

“Oh, thanks.”  _ She didn’t have to do that. It was really nice of her, actually. _

“Did you sleep well?”

“Not really,” I yawn, still devoid of rest and energy. “Didn’t get enough sleep…” I actually had awful dreams about Yukio’s suicidal experiments. Throwing himself off a building, shooting himself in the head, drowning himself. I tried to stop him each time, but he didn’t hear my protests. It was as if he couldn’t sense my presence at all. But all his attempts somehow failed. 

“Yes, yes… You’re both young, after all.”  _ Not  _ this _ again! It’s too early in the morning for this! _ She sets down a small energy drink on the table. “I brought this for you. It’s complementary.”

“Oh!” I exclaim as sincerely as possible. “Thanks!”

Suddenly Yukio just explodes. Turns out he  _ did _ pick up on the implications the woman was giving out. “Excuse me!” he yells. “But my sister and I are exorcists of the Knights of the True Cross! We’ve come here looking for a missing comrade!” He shoves his tablet in the old woman’s face. “We’re here for work! We’re looking for someone! Have you seen this woman?!”

“Bro, calm down. You’re scary.”

“Oh dear, I apologize for assuming you were lovers.” She bows in retribution. But she does recognize Shura. “But yes, yes… she spent the night here.”

_ Shura spent the night here? _ Yukio and I exchange an identical look. Finally, another lead.

“Did she say where she was going?” Yukio asks. 

“No, but when I told her that there would be heavy snowfall and she shouldn’t go sightseeing, she said that she was going home, and told me not to worry,” the old woman informs us.  _She was going home?_


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins find Shura and learn her backstory. Yukio does a bad thing for a good reason and Rin frees Shura from her fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! Please don’t hate Yukio too much (even though he deserves it, but he really is sorry for what he did). It was fun to delve into Yukio’s psyche and focus on him instead of Rin for the majority of a chapter, to be honest. I hope you all enjoy reading this!

Rin POV

“Going home…” my brother mutters as he uses one hand to eat his breakfast and the other to scroll through his tablet. After the innkeeper told us about her encounter with Shura, she left us alone to eat our breakfast. 

“What are you looking up?” I ask. 

“Shura’s background. The Order has a database of exorcists. Her home is presumed to be Towada city in Aomori prefecture, and when she was about nine, the Order took her in after the Baba Yaga incident,” he reads. Then he looks confused. Apparently there’s something even my brother doesn’t know. “The Baba Yaga incident?”

“I thought you two went way back?”

“We do, but she always teased me, so I didn’t like her.”

“And I saw her almost every day since we met, but I don’t know her at all…”  _ Come to think of it, she’s always been distant from the rest of us. I hardly know anything about her. She talks about herself even less than Yukio and I used to talk about ourselves, in those first few months of high school. _

“The knights of the True Cross received a request to exorcise a Baba Yaga rampaging around Lake Towada. Towada Shrine was its lair. The Order found Shura being held prisoner here,” reads Yukio, holding his tablet as we stare up at said shrine. We hiked from the inn all the way here

“Father Fujimoto rescued her,” I remember. 

“Y-yes,” stammers Yukio, surprised that I would know that. “It says Shiro Fujimoto, who was not yet paladin at the time, resolved the matter himself.”

“She told me he saved her and she became his apprentice,” I muse, thinking back to our conversation the first time we met. That’s actually the extent of what I know of her past. Who her parents were, and how she was raised as a child, she spoke about none of it.

“Well, let’s go up and have a look,” suggests Yukio, breaking me out of my thoughts and heading up the stairs. I start to follow him, but then stop. I can feel it.  _ If Shura’s up there, she’s not alone. _ Yukio notices my hesitation. “What’s wrong?”

“Something dangerous is up there. Shura could be in trouble!”

I start running, leading the way up the steps. There’s something very dangerous up ahead. And we’re getting closer to it every second. We get to the top and find the shrine. “Here?!” Yukio asks. 

“We’re in enemy territory, so I don’t know,” I admit. 

“We should have come more heavily armed,” hisses Yukio in regret, gritting his teeth.

Then I see her. “Yukio! It’s Shura!” She’s laying in the snow, bleeding from several points on her body. She looks like she’s been cut by a sword. “So much blood…”

“She needs treatment for mashou! Let’s get her to the inn!” Yukio suggests. 

“I’ll carry her!” I offer. 

As I scoop her up and make my way down the hill with Yukio, I notice that the dangerous presence hasn’t gone away, but it isn’t attacking us, so I keep going, without trying to find it. Shura is more important. 

We get back to the inn, request another night from the old lady, get Shura into a bed, and treat her wounds. 

I hear a small groan, and look over at Shura to see her opening her eyes. “Shura!”

“You’re awake!”

“Why are you two…” She stops, grunting in pain. 

“Take it easy,” suggests Yukio. “You lost a lot of blood, but your wound is small.”

“I heal quickly near Hachiro,” she insists. 

“Hachiro?”

“What happened?”

“Tch! Mephisto’s always meddling,” she scoffs in annoyance. Then she sighs. “I’m going to die soon.”

_ What the…  _ “Die?!”

“What are you talking about?” I demand.  _ She’s only in her twenties! She’s too young to die! _

“I’m sort of in a contract with Hashirotaro Okami, the dragon god who rules the area around Towada,” confesses Shura. 

Yukio gasps. “Hashirotaro, of the Sanko legend?!”

Shura laughs. “I’m not surprised you know that, you wimp.”  _ What are they talking about? _

“I thought Buddhist monks vanquished him over a thousand years ago.”

“No, they just sealed him at Lake Towada. Hachiro is a super-high-level demon called a hydra. He’s weaker now, but he still has strong divine power and a regenerative ability that makes him nearly immortal.”

“Then that means…”

“Yes.” I can see where this is going. And I don’t like it. “The Illuminati probably want him. I came here because Hachiro said someone had been snooping around. Ask the Knights of the True Cross to protect him. I wanted to hide this, but now there’s no choice.”

“Why?” Yukio says. 

“Why did you enter a contract that would kill you?” I ask.

“ _ I _ wasn’t the one who did it. It was my ancestor. She exchanged the life spans of her descendants for a demon sword. Her name was Tatsuko Kirigakure.”

Shura goes on to tell us that Tatsuko fled her village to start her own style, but the Iga ninja don’t allow anyone to leave. They chased after her, and she was seriously injured. She barely escaped into the north country, and there she met Hachiro. They crossed swords, but to an immortal like Hachiro, doing so was only a way to pass the time. Tatsuko was on the verge of death, but hadn’t satisfied her ambition yet, and didn’t want to die. Somehow, in voicing this to Hachiro, she stole his heart. He gave her some of his blood, which healed her injuries, then made a demon sword with his own fang and gave it to her on the condition that she and her successors die at thirty years of age and bear a child before then, preserving her young and strong appearance forever through her descendants. Under Hachiro’s curse, Tatsuko’s daughter and her daughter’s daughter looked exactly like her and died at the age of thirty. And so will Shura, when she turns thirty. 

“But that’s just in three or four years!” Yukio exclaims once her story’s over. 

“Huh?! I’m still eighteen!” Shura pouts playfully. “I’ve got like twelve years left!”

“Don’t joke about this!” I scold her. “Come on, we can defeat Hachiro! What’re his weaknesses?”

“His only weakness is his fear of my aging and not giving him a child. He won’t dissolve the contract, and you can’t threaten him. But I can resist! I won’t have a kid!” Shura declares willfully. 

I look over at my brother desperately. “Yukio? Any ideas?”

“Rin,” Shura tells me calmly, giving a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. I’m prepared for this. I knew I wouldn’t live long, so I never created any ties I’d regret leaving. So don’t worry.” She sighs. “But would you mind turning in my resignation? Mephisto probably knows about this, so…” She trails off, leaving the rest unsaid, but her message is clear. 

“Shura, you really expect us to believe that you never created any ties you’d regret leaving? And we shouldn’t worry about it?! There’s no way we can do that! Besides, what about our promise? I still have to become paladin, to prove that Father Fujimoto’s faith in me is justified!” I started off at a normal volume, but grew steadily louder and more hysterical as I continued. 

“Rin, that’s enough,” scolds Yukio, holding me back a little. I didn’t even realize that I was leaning forward. “She’s injured.” I close my mouth obediently and sit back on my heels. “Let me replace your bandages,” he offers, like the doctor he is. 

“No, I’m fine,” Shura insists. “The wounds have healed.” She shows him. There’s no trace that she’s been injured in the first place. 

“What?! There’s no scar! Is that due to Hachirotaro’s regenerative power?!” I don’t see why he’s so surprised when his own sister can regenerate faster than this. 

“Rin’s is better, but it’s stronger around Hachiro,” explains Shura. “Report everything to Mephisto.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Now get lost. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Go ahead and get some rest,” I tell her. “Come on, Yukio.”

_ I can’t believe Shura is going to die. Can’t we do anything?  _ I think miserably, sitting on the inn’s staircase next to Yukio, who is talking to someone on the phone. 

“Yes,” my brother says into the phone. “Alright. Thank you.” There’s a small  _ beep _ as he hangs up and looks at me. “I contacted Sir Pheles,” he tells me. “Reinforcements will arrive later tonight.”

“Did he say anything about Shura?”

“He said, ‘Aw, you guys’ll handle it!’” Yukio somehow imitates Mephisto’s voice almost perfectly. 

_ We’ll  _ handle it? “I  _ hate _ that guy!” I growl.  _ Putting this on us! _

“Shura can’t escape the contract because Hachiro is in a superior position,” Yukio mutters to himself. “Which means, we need Hachiro to abrogate it himself.”

“Have you got an idea, bro?” Does he have a plan on how he’s going to get Hachiro to abrogate the contract?

“Nope. Not a clue.”  _ How useless. _ “But I wonder about that regenerative ability…”  _ Huh? Does he think it might have a weakness? _

But before I can think too much into it, I feel something familiar and malicious. I gasp. “Yukio! That presence I sensed at the shrine is here at the inn!”

“What?!”

We run upstairs, but both Shura and the presence are gone by the time we arrive. 

  
  


Yukio POV

Rin and I run towards the shrine. She’s leading the way, since she’s following the presence she felt earlier. I know we’re getting close when I hear the voices. 

“I’ve seen the outside world! And I’m a different woman!” Shura’s voice shouts in defiance. 

“Silence! You belong to us! You  _ will _ bear us a child.”  _ That voice… it must belong to Hachiro. _

“Shura!” Rin screams, charging forward with her sword and flames out. “So you’re Hachiro, huh?!” Hachiro looks human enough in the form he has taken, or he would if it weren’t for his many, many pairs of eyes. 

“Rin?!” Shura yells in surprise. 

But Hachiro doesn’t waste any time in transforming his right arm into a snake and grabbing my sister in midair, pushing her backwards into the forest. She yelps in surprise, and then she’s gone.

“Rin!” I yell. But I don’t have time to worry about her, because I’m suddenly face down in the snow and Hachiro is standing on my back. I grunt in pain. 

“Yukio!” Shura shouts in concern. 

“Who are you, and what is your connection to this woman?” Hachiro demands, ignoring Shura for the moment. I can only groan in reply. This guy might not be all that large in any way, but he’s no lightweight either. “Oh well,” he says, not even waiting for me to try answering again. “Now we have a human man.”  _ A… what?! _ “A man who will leap into the fire! Ha ha ha ha! All we need to do now is to issue my command, Tatsuko.” He uses a couple of his many eyes to look sideways at her. Suddenly he scowls, and turns his gaze to where his snake arm disappears into the trees with Rin at the end of it. “Tch! She isn’t human, and she’s powerful!” My sister must be putting up quite a fight at the end of that arm.  _ Typical Rin, _ I think proudly. “Let’s begin before she returns.”

_ Wait, begin? _ I suddenly realize what he wants. “W-what are you talking about? Surely you don’t mean…”  _ No. No, no, no! I’m not interested in that… I’m not even attracted to women or anyone else…  _

“Yes.  _ You _ will plant the seed.” For a moment, we make eye contact, and apparently that’s enough, because suddenly I’m frozen.  _ I can’t move! Is this some kind of hypnotic compulsion? _

“No, Hachiro!” Shura protests. “Don’t do this! He’s still a kid!”

He glares at her. “Then  _ you _ move.” Her eyes go blank, and I realize he’s using the same hypnotic technique he used on me. But that’s all I have time for, not even able to move out of the way before she’s on top of me, literally. 

She rolls me over onto my back and straddles my hips. “Shura!” I whisper desperately. “No!” Her eyes look strange. It’s like she can’t resist as she unbuttons the front of my coat and unzips my sweater, baring the skin of my chest. “No, wait! Hey! Stop!”  _ She’s being forced to rape me so that Hachiro can have his child! _ And suddenly it stops, with Hachiro screaming in agony.  _ But what happened? _

“Sorry about that…” Shura apologizes awkwardly, looking away. 

“Yeah… no problem…” I stammer, my face hot as I fix my clothes and glasses.  _ That was close. Way, way, too close. I can’t even begin describe just how many things were wrong with that.  _

Hachiro retracts his snake arm, only to find that the end of it is burning up in a familiar blue flame.  _ You’ve done it, sister! _ I think in relief. “This flame!” Hachiro shouts angrily. He cuts off the burning parts of his arm. “She really isn’t human! Who are you?!” he screams at the sky.  _ She must be near here. _

Then I hear her voice. “Satan… Slash!” An arc of my sister’s flames hits the ground where Hachiro was just a fraction of a second ago. Then she lands in front of him, skidding to a stop. But she doesn’t pause for long. “Let Shura go, you snaky jerk!” she screams as she charges forward. 

“Rin!” I yell. But as usual, she doesn’t listen to me. 

“No,  _ you _ let her go!” Hachiro counters. “Tatsuko belongs to  _ us _ ! We have a contract, so she cannot leave us!” He slices at Rin, leaving shallow cuts in her arms as she lifts them up to protect herself. I know that she’ll regenerate, but I always hate seeing her get hurt. At least she’s protecting her head. 

“She doesn’t belong to  _ anyone _ ! Shura’s going to live a long time, and be an old lady! So set her free!” Rin slashes at Hachiro again, and he retreats temporarily. 

“Yes, she  _ will _ live a long time!” Hachiro agrees. “Like the phoenix reborn from the ashes! Together with us and young forever!”

“Heh!” Rin scoffs. “You’re not listening, so it’s time for plan B. I’ll burn you with my flame so fast that you can’t regenerate!” She charges forward again, fangs bared. 

“No, Rin!” I yell. “That’s enough!”

“I’m sorry, guys,” says Shura quietly from beside me. I turn around to see her with her sword poised just behind her neck, the edge of her blade pressing dangerously against her skin.  _ She’s going to…  _

_ “ _ Tatsuko!” Hachiro shouts. Rin stops dead in her tracks, looking back just in time to see Shura’s position. 

I can’t let this happen. I grab the end of her sword. I don’t care that it’s the blade. “Don’t even think about it!” I growl at her angrily. 

Suddenly she flips and maneuvers around, and the sword is no longer in my hand, which has a shallow cut across my palm. But neither did she emerge completely unscathed. Now, the majority of her long hair is no longer attached to her head, cut off by her own blade. “My death will solve this!” But before she can try again with her neck exposed, she’s knocked over by Hachiro’s snake arm, and her sword flies out of her hand. 

“Shura!” Rin shouts, abandoning her attack on Hachiro and running toward us as his arm retracts. 

“We will not allow that!” Hachiro growls possessively as Rin reaches Shura and helps her up. 

But suddenly I have an idea, one that will free Shura from her contract and save her life. And it might just work. “Rin, don’t let Shura do anything crazy,” I order. “She can’t die yet!” Rin looks at me questioningly but silently obeys, watching over Shura. With that out of the way, I approach Hachiro as confidently as I can. “Hashirotaro,” I begin. “How about a contract between you and me?”

Safe to say, I think everyone’s shocked.  _ Perfect. _ “A contract?” Hachiro asks me skeptically. 

“Yes. A contract to our mutual benefit.” He doesn’t say anything, waiting for me to continue. So I keep talking. “If you force this, your beloved will commit suicide. Is that what you want?”

Hachiro hisses.  _ I’ll take that as a no. _ “What are the conditions?”

I have him right where I want him. “Shift the contract of the demon sword to me, along with the regenerative ability of her blood,” I offer seriously. “And don’t worry about a child, because I will give you one.” I can hear Rin coughing in the background.  _ Probably trying to cover up laughter. Come on, Rin, don’t mess this up for me. _ I’ve gotten rather good at acting in the past eight years, well enough that I was able to make my own twin believe that I knew nothing about our heritage, as well as keep her in the dark about my exorcist training until that first day of cram school. And right now, all of our lives depend on my being able to bluff. 

All of Hachiro’s eyes narrow. “You… what are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you hear me? This would be easier if you could have a child with Tatsuko yourself, but this human form is a mere shadow of your form as a hydra. Thus, I will conceive a child with her. Wouldn’t using compulsion on your beloved feel empty? I’m close to her, so I can persuade her. But take her power and give it to me. I… I crave strength and powerful physical regeneration, no matter the cost.”  _ Take the bait. Please let him take the bait I’m offering him.  _

“What is this nonsense?” Hachiro demands. “If we dissolve the contract, then the Tatsuko born to her will grow old!”

“If you don’t want that, then why not just kill the aging Tatsuko?”

“We cannot do that! Kill Tatsuko?!”

“Then how about dissolving the demon sword contract but keeping the one that limits her life?”

“Impossible! Then Tatsuko will die!”

_ Moment of truth here. _ “That leaves only one choice. After this Tatsuko ages and has a child, I will kill her, and do the same to future generations. I can found an organization to carry on after I die. I have the money for it. Give me what I want, and I’ll cooperate. With a demon sword and regeneration, I could even stand against my troublesome sister.”

“Yukio! You’re not serious, are you?!” Rin yells.  _ Good. Even  _ she _ believes this facade for now.  _

I turn and look her in the eye as coldly as possible. “I’m sorry, Rin. But I want to be stronger. With Hachiro’s regeneration, I can try even harsher experiments.”  _ I guess it’s a good thing I told her about the experiments I was doing, and my decision to stop doing them. It makes her surprise believable. _ I take it another step further, pulling out my gun, cocking it, and pointing it at her. “So… I don’t need your help.”

Her first reaction is shock. Then hurt and betrayal. Then anger. “Are you pointing a gun at me  _ again _ ?! This is just like before! You won’t shoot! You can’t do it, coward!”

I shoot. Four rapidly fired bullets, one in the middle of her forehead, one in her mouth, one in (near) her heart, and one directly between her breasts. She collapses backwards into the snow. I almost break character. I didn’t want to have to do that, and it kills me to hurt my sister at all, but it’s all part of the act, and she’ll be fine in a minute. Fortunately, I remain believable, even to Shura. “Rin!” Shura screams, scrambling over and kneeling by my sister. 

“It’ll take her twenty minutes to recover from that,” I tell Hachiro, putting away my pistol. “She was interfering, right?”

“Y-Yukio?!”

“Shura, instead of dying pointlessly, why not be of use to me first? We’ve been through a lot together, so I don’t want to subject you to fear and pain. I’ll be good to you,” I promise emptily. 

“I think,” decides Hachiro, “I like you. Very well,” he continues, agreeing to my contract. He extends his snake arm again and wraps it around Shura so she can’t escape. He opens the top of her clothes and removes the seal from her chest. “Tatsuko, we should never have let you out. Next time, we won’t. We will keep you here!” When he’s done and Shura’s free, he turns to me. “You’re next. Come kneel before us.” I do as he commands, and he slices open my coat and sweater with his smaller arm and wraps his larger one around my body to keep me in place. He pokes his sharp fingernail into my bare chest and drags his finger down, almost grinning as he draws the seal. “No one since Tatsuko has excited me more!”

“Thank you, Lord Hashirotaro. Now all will go well.” I smirk.  _ No sense hiding it anymore. _ “Now, Rin!”

The Koma sword sprouts from Hachiro’s stomach, blue flames along with it. While he was distracted with me and Shura, my sister was getting into place behind him. The shock on Hachiro’s face is priceless. But he also reflexively tightened his grip on me, and I hear and feel my left arm breaking and a few of my ribs cracking. Rin spits out a bullet into the snow. “Nutrient bullets  _ again _ ?! Can’t you do anything else?! You had me scared!”

“N-no… I can’t believe this…” Hachiro gasps, releasing me. 

“Well played, bro!” Rin ignores Hachiro and grins at me, finally understanding my scheme. But it’s her turn to attack him, and I would love to get well out of dodge to where Shura is, but the pain in my arm and chest is too much. I collapse when Hachiro drops me. 

“You… How dare you?!” Hachiro demands, trying to turn around and see Rin. 

But she’s clearly more than sick of dealing with him. “Satan Campfire!” A column of blue flame swallows him whole. She pours more and more power into the attack, until all that’s left at the end of her sword is a small snake. Hachiro’s defeated. He tries to slither away, but Rin grabs him just behind his head. “Oh, no you don’t,” she scolds. “You’re coming with us. I believe we have orders to protect you from the Illuminati.” He squirms in her hand, and she squeezes. “Do  _ not _ make me hurt you more,” she growls. Rin comes over and kneels beside me, shaking her head in disbelief. “Yukio, you moron. Why’d you do that?”

“I had to.” I feel a stab of pain in my side, and grunt. 

“Idiot. Come on, brother, we need to get you to a hospital.” She effortlessly lifts me up, putting my right arm around her shoulders as she supports the rest of my body.  _ My sister will always be stronger than I am. It doesn’t matter what demon I make a contract with. But I’m… surprisingly okay with that.  _ “Come on, Shura,” she tells our friend. “You’re free now.” And that’s the last thing I remember. 


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin gets Yukio to the hospital, thinks about what happened in Aomori, hosts a dinner party (kinda) for some uninvited but welcome guests, and learns a new way to use her flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! I now present the aftermath of the incident in Aomori. This chapter, in my opinion, is kinda awkwardly written, but it’s due today so here you go. I hope you enjoy it!

Rin POV

“Satan Campfire!” A column of blue flame swallows Hachiro whole. I pour more and more power into the attack.  _ If I don’t destroy him as he is, right here and now, I’ll never have a chance again. _ As he withers away, though, I hear his voice in my head.  _ “No one understands this pain. Spirits in the other world yearn for this, yet never know satisfaction. This… pain… No understanding will come to you who exists between the two worlds. It is inevitable.” _ And then it’s gone. Hachiro’s finally defeated, and all that’s left at the end of my sword is a small snake. He tries to slither away, but I won’t let him leave so easily. I grab him at the base of his head. “Oh, no you don’t,” I scold. “You’re coming with us. I believe we have orders to protect you from the Illuminati.” He squirms in my hand, and I squeeze as a warning. “Do  _ not _ make me hurt you more,” I growl.  _ As he is now, I could probably crush him in one hand if I wanted to. _ Then I go over to where my brother has collapsed and kneel beside him, shaking my head in disbelief. “Yukio, you moron. Why’d you do that?”

“I had to.” He grunts in pain. From the sound of the cracking I heard earlier, and the way he’s clutching his side, I’m guessing he broke his arm and a few of his ribs. And people say  _ he’s _ the smart twin.  _ His negotiations were well-executed, _ I admit,  _ but his mistake was letting Hachiro get ahold of him. _

“Idiot. Come on, brother, we need to get you to a hospital.” I lift him up, placing his right arm around my neck as I support the rest of his body with the hand that isn’t holding Hachiro. He doesn’t resist, but his feet are dragging on the ground because of our height difference. “Come on, Shura,” I tell our friend. “You’re free now.”  _ She doesn’t have to deal with Hachiro anymore. _ Suddenly I feel all of Yukio’s weight on my arm, and look over to see that he’s passed out. 

Yukio opens his eyes. He only says two words. “What happened?” I imagine he must be a little disoriented. 

“This is True Cross General Hospital. You collapsed, so we used a key to come back,” Shura tells him, munching on an apple that I cut for her earlier. I’m sitting by his bedside, peeling another for him. Reinforcements came just after Yukio passed out. I gave them Hachiro for safekeeping, they did a quick first-aid treatment on Yukio, and then Shura and I used a key to get back to True Cross and bring Yukio to the hospital. At some point, Shura found a pair of scissors and fixed her newly-cut hair in a bathroom mirror. It’s mid-afternoon now. “They’ve already operated on you. Rehab and recovery will take two months.”

“Two months…”

“Hey, maybe it’s a  _ good  _ thing,” I suggest optimistically. “You’ve been awfully busy lately, even though you aren’t a teacher anymore. Consider this a break, and get some rest. And when you feel better, you can go back to work as an exorcist at full throttle. Here,” I offer, standing and placing a bowl on Yukio’s bedside table, “have an Aomori apple.” I bend down and kiss his forehead before I leave with Shura. “Hang in there, bro.”

“Yeah… okay.”

I grab my coat, and the two of us leave. Shura closes the door behind us. 

“I should text Dad and everyone else that Yukio’s okay,” I mutter to myself as I pull out my phone. 

“Rin…” begins Shura, a worried tone in her voice. 

“Yeah?”

“About Yukio, and what he did in Aomori…”

“Yeah. I know,” I confess. “You’re talking about his little bluff, huh? You… don’t need to say anything. I’m going to talk to him about it when he’s feeling a little better, because I know it was necessary to free you from Hachiro.”

Shura nods, and runs her fingers through her shortened hair. If I’m being honest, she looks better this way. “Just hold him accountable, okay?”

“I will,” I promise. 

As I head back to my dorm, I think about what Shura was about to say about my brother. He had a hard voice to make. He was only acting, but he was forced to pretend to make a deal with Hachiro, and then he shot me four times.  _ With nutrient bullets, sure, but he still… _

I get back to my room.  _ He shot his own sister.  _ I’m still in shock from that information. Being shot was no big deal, but when it comes from the person I have been with since our conception, it makes things a whole lot worse.  _ I won’t dwell on this right now.  _

I need a shower. I’m pretty sure I’ve still got some blood in my hair from this morning.  _ Was it really just this morning that Yukio and I woke up in that inn?  _ It’s hard to believe.  _ No, stop focusing on that.  _ I need to relax a little, and a hot shower will help with that. I grab my towel and head for the bathroom. 

I look up from my cooking when I hear an insistent knocking on the door from outside. “ _ Who’s that? _ ” Kuro wonders. 

“I don’t know,” I reply. “I’m not expecting anyone…”

With Kuro curled around my neck, resting on my shoulders, I go to investigate. “Rin?” It’s Ryuuji. “We’re going to Ponchan for dinner, if you want to come.” I open the door to let him in, but as soon as he sees me, he starts blushing, and looks away. Koneko and Renzo are with him too. Koneko also averts his eyes, but Renzo stares at me shamelessly, practically drooling. 

Then I realize I’m wearing pajamas… and no bra. It was late enough after my shower that I didn’t feel like getting fully dressed or going anywhere, I just felt like cooking a bunch of food out of stress, so I just pulled on some pajama pants and a comfy form-fitting long-sleeved shirt. I’m all alone in this dorm tonight with Kuro anyway, so there’s no need for modesty; or so I thought until now. “Sorry!” I apologize hastily, standing back and opening the door wider. “Come in! Can you guys go to the kitchen and make sure nothing burns for five minutes while I grab a sweatshirt?” 

“Aw, why do you need to do that? You’re fine just as you are!” Renzo whines as Konekomaru takes Kuro so I can run upstairs. 

“Don’t hit on your boyfriend’s sister, Renzo!” I shout back. 

I return to the kitchen, now wearing a sweatshirt, to find that the guys haven’t burned anything. Koneko is waving around one of Kuro’s cat toys and playing with him. 

“Sorry about that,” I apologize again, now that I’m more modestly dressed. “I wasn’t expecting to have any visitors.” I check on the stove, and everything’s just about done. 

“That’s alright,” Koneko forgives me. “Well, we were  _ going _ to ask if you want to go to Ponchan, but…”

I shake my head. “Yeah, sorry. I was just planning on having a nice quiet evening at home with Kuro, y’know? But I just cooked all this food, so if you want to join me, you can,” I offer. I accidentally made too much. I was actually just thinking I’d pack up the leftovers for lunches, but now that the guys are here, that seems like it’s not going to be a likely possibility. 

“That’s weird,” notes Renzo. “Usually you’d be the one leading us out the door to go get a meal.”

“I know, I’m just kinda tired, after what happened today,” I explain.  _ Did I really wake up in Aomori this morning, and fight Hachiro, and get shot by my brother? _ It’s been a very long day for me, and I’m surprised it’s not over yet. 

“What happened?” Ryuuji asks. “We got your text that Yukio was in the hospital.”

“Don’t worry. Yukio’s going to be fine.” I assure him, taking pots off the stove and arranging the contents in serving bowls. “His arm and ribs are broken, so he’ll be taking it easy for about two months, but he’s alright.”  _ And I’m alright. I’m going to be fine. If he shoots me again, I’ll regenerate again. It’s no big deal.  _ “But… I’m worried about him. He’s so reckless. I mean, he’s gotten  _ really _ good at acting, which is how we were able to get the enemy’s guard down, and that’s great, and all, but…” I sigh, afraid to say it. 

“But what?” Koneko prompts as he helps me set the table. 

“Yukio…” I don’t know if I should even tell them this, but I’m going to. “He shot me to keep up the facade. I can’t even tell if he wanted to do it or not. I’m scared for him.” 

“Your own brother…  _ shot  _ you?” Renzo gapes at me. 

“Don’t look so concerned!” I reassure him as lightheartedly as I can. “Obviously it was nothing fatal. I mean, he did shoot me in the head, and in the chest, but that four-eyed coward used nutrient bullets. And since I heal quickly, I was back on my feet and shoving Kurikara into the enemy’s back within a few minutes.”

“Rin, why?” Ryuuji asks incredulously. “Why would he do something like that?” I don’t resist when Ryuuji pulls me into his protective arms.

“I told you why,” I answer. “He had to create a diversion, to lower our enemy’s defenses, and shooting me was what worked. He even tricked both me and Shura. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

“Rin…” Ryuuji shakes his head. “You’re not forgiving him for that, are you?”

“I don’t know. He’s my twin, I can’t just hate him for something that wasn’t personal,” I admit. “No matter what, I still love him. But… at the same time, I know I need to hold him accountable for his actions.”

Ryuuji shakes his head. “You crazy woman. Only you could love someone who attacked you.”

“Yeah, but I’m  _ your  _ crazy woman.” I pull my face away from his shoulder just far enough that I can reposition myself and kiss him. “And if what Yukio says is true, I will be for a long time.” 

“What do you mean?” Ryu asks, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. 

“Well,” I explain. “There’s a theory Yukio has, and given his reasoning, I’m inclined to believe it’s true. He doesn’t think I’m aging anymore.”

There are several seconds of utterly astonished silence. Then— “Not…  _ aging _ ? How would he come to  _ that _ conclusion?” Renzo gasps. 

“Well… first of all, there’s more of a height difference between us now. He’s been growing, and I haven’t. Then…” I continue explaining all the facts, all the pieces of the theory, excluding the unnecessary and slightly embarrassing details. 

“That makes sense,” comments Koneko when I’m done. “Demons don’t age, and even though you’re only half, being the daughter of Satan might allow you certain traits.”

I shrug. “Maybe. Yukio thinks it has to do with my regeneration abilities, but I don’t know. I wonder if Mephisto would, since he’s descended from Satan too…” I ponder. 

“That’s so cool, though!” Renzo says in awe. “You’re gonna look fifteen forever!”

“You think I  _ want  _ this? Thanks to his theory, Yukio now has it in his head that  _ he’s  _ the older twin now.”  _ I’m having a hard enough time wrapping my head around this, and if Yukio’s right, as he usually is, then I don’t know what will happen to me. What’ll the Vatican do to me? Will I be experimented on? I just don’t know. I don’t know if this means I’m immortal, or will continue on until someone kills me, or what. But I don’t want to look young forever. A part of me wants to be able to grow old, be an adult, be taken seriously. Instead, according to Yukio, I’m going to remain in a state of adolescence forever, even if my mind matures over time. It’s just a lot to take in, you know? And it’s not exactly my ideal life, even if I am in peak physical condition forever. I don’t know what the future holds for me, and that’s terrifying. _

“Is being the older twin really that important, though?” Konekomaru asks. 

Despite my anxiety, I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my lips. “Of course it is. We older twins take pride in the extra couple of hours we have on our siblings. No matter what he says,  _ I  _ was born first, so I will always be older than Yukio is, no matter what age I physically look.” I gesture to the table. “Come on, guys, dig in before it gets cold,” I invite them. 

I focus my flames at my target.  _ There we go, nice and carefully now…  _ It’s been a few days since I told the guys about my being shot by Yukio and my not aging. I haven’t told anyone else about my agelessness, but a part of me wonders if I should. I mean, this thing is going to affect the rest of my life. It could possibly affect the lives of my friends, too. But I’m not worried about it now. It saddens me that they’re all going to eventually die without me, if I do end up enduring, and I’ll have to live my entire life without them. But enough of those depressing thoughts. While we’re all still kids, I have a skill to hone and a brother to visit tomorrow. I examine the object I’m holding on two tiny skewers, and adjust my flames accordingly. 

“What are you doing, Rin?” Renzo asks. He and Konekomaru have found me. 

“I’m practicing how to grill fish. I’m going to take some to Yukio in the hospital tomorrow, and fresh grilled is best,” I explain, still focused on my task.  _ Done. _ “I’m finally getting the hang of it. Try some, Konekomaru.” I hold it out, and he takes a bite. 

“Oh! Mackerel! Crispy outside and soft inside!” Konekomaru praises it.  _ Perfect! _

“Finally! I have acquired the skill to grill fish!” I cheer. 

“Acquired  _ what _ skill?! Koneko! Talk to her!” Renzo complains

“The hospital won’t let you grill inside,” Koneko reasons. 

“Much less with Satan’s flame!” Renzo adds. 

“Shut up and try some,” I argue, giving Renzo the fish. 

He takes a bite as we start heading back to the dorms. “It’s delicious! You’re the best, Mom!” He happily starts finishing off the rest.  _ Again with the mom thing? _

“Where’s Ryuuji?” I ask Koneko as we walk. 

“He’s been working for Lightning after cram school,” he answers. 

I shake my head. “That man… he always works so hard. Almost reminds me of Yukio, actually…” I’m the sister of one workaholic, the girlfriend of another, and the daughter of a third. Yukio, Ryuuji, and Dad are all working very hard in their positions of exorcist, apprentice, and paladin, respectively. Yukio and Dad, I hear, are receiving more and more requests for jobs every day. Although Yukio has been out of commission ever since Aomori, so there’s nothing he can do until he’s released from the hospital. Ryuuji is tending to Lightning’s every whim, whatever it may be, and essentially doing everything for him. 

“Hey, guys,” I hear as we pass a balcony. “Headed back to the dorms?”

We turn and look, and there’s Ryuuji. In an apron. Doing Lightning’s laundry. “Ryu?! You look like Lightning’s mother!” I blurt out. 

“Bon, you look  _ ridiculous _ ,” Renzo snorts in laughter. 

“Shut up!” Ryuuji snaps at him. “I’m doing this voluntarily because I can’t stand the stench of the master’s clothes!”

“Hey, Mom!” Lightning calls from the open window behind him. “I’m hungry! Go get me the usual at True Cross Burger! Times two!”

“Hold your horses, you idiot!” Ryu shouts, but Lightning has already retreated behind the window and closed it. We all stare at the closed window in silence for a moment. “I know I’m like his mother!” Ryuuji says in frustration, gritting his teeth. “And I’m not showing him enough respect! I need to learn more self-control! I must attain a state of selflessness!”

“Bon… you’re so determined! I’ll pray to Shaka for your success!” Koneko cheers enthusiastically. 

“Good luck, Ryuuji!” I encourage him as we move on. 

“Thank you, Rin. Work hard, guys!”

“Hey, Rin,” ponders Renzo aloud as we move on, out of earshot, “if Bon’s like Lightning’s mother, and you’re the cram school mom friend, and you’re dating Bon, wouldn’t that mean that Lightning and the rest of us essentially have two lesbian moms?”

And just like that, the only worry I have right now is that I’m going to die of asphyxiation, because I can’t breathe from laughing too hard.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lightning has a theory, Ryuuji becomes a detective, the esquires visit Yukio in the hospital, the girls have a sleepover and bond, and Shiemi and Izumo’s relationship evolves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! This chapter was a fun one to work on, thanks to the sleepover scene (and all the others, but that one in particular was fun to insert Rin into). I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Ryuuji POV

“I’m back!” I call, closing the door behind me. As per Lightning’s request, I just went out and bought a double order of his usual at True Cross Burger. 

“Welcome back!” my master greets me. “Well, the paperwork is in order, so come on! And bring the burgers!” He grabs his hat and scarf and walks out the door I just came in through. 

“Huh? Um, okay…”  _ That was a quick turnaround. I didn’t even have time to properly go inside.  _

I obediently follow him, as he leads me into an office by using a key. He presents some papers to the people there, and they allow us to pass. From there, we take an elevator down several floors. When the doors open, I can’t stop my gasp of awe. 

“Woah!” It’s a library.  _ A huge, beautiful, book-filled library. I’ve never seen anything like this before… _

“This underground library is the pride of the Japan branch,” Lightning tells me. “It stores all of the documents we have on exorcism and the history of this branch. At least, it should. Viewing them requires a mountain of paperwork and Mephisto’s approval, so it’s a pain, but you got approval as my assistant.”

“Oh…”  _ So these documents are that important, huh? _

Lightning checks a map, then leads me to a particular section. “Here’s the spot. We’ve got permission for five days, so we have to hurry.”

“Um… what’re we going to do?” So far he’s told me nothing, just bringing me here out of the blue. 

“Hm? Well, we’re going to do some detective work!”

“Huh?!”

“I didn’t come to this branch just to teach at the cram school,” he admits unabashedly, flipping through a book he removed from the shelf. “I also intend to investigate the Illuminati.”

“Huh? But why does it have to be  _ this _ branch?” Then it occurs to me. I gasp. “Is it because of Shima?! Is that why you took me as your apprentice?! Even if he appears suspicious or traitorous, I won’t do anything to hurt him! He’s like family to me!”

“That’s a mighty hasty conclusion you’ve come to there,” Lightning says, amused. “Don’t blow a fuse.”

“Then deny it!” I snap.  _ If he doesn’t want me jumping to conclusions, then he should just tell me exactly what he means! _

“Well, Shima  _ is _ important right now, but the Illuminati doesn’t yet fully trust him, so it’s best to give him some room. I think Sir Pheles knows something about the Illuminati. That’s why I came here,” he informs me. 

“Sir Pheles  _ is _ suspicious,” I agree.  _ I’ve doubted him myself on more than one occasion. _ “But you think he’s connected to the Illuminati?”

“Well, I didn’t say  _ that _ …”  _ He’s so infuriating! _ “Listen. Sir Pheles said he’s using you kids to defeat Lucifer.”

“Yeah… that’s right.” I remember the conversation. Rin almost literally blew up at him for saying that, since it showed his utter lack of respect for everyone. 

“And that includes the Okumura twins.”  _ Rin and Yukio? _ _ But why are they singled out? _ “They were born around the time of the Blue Night, and he had them raised in secret. That means he had them ready  _ before _ Lucifer even used the Illuminati to declare war. I didn’t even start hearing about the Illuminati until the Blue Night. And that’s not all.” He pulls another record from the shelf and places it on the ground, opening it. He kneels down beside it, and I follow his lead. “Branch staff turnover has increased since then. The number’s higher than at other branches. Within one month of that night, about a hundred people quit or transferred. There must have been a connection between the Japan branch and the Blue Night. I’m just speculating, but I think this all began on the Blue Night. But the Blue Night remains a mystery. The reports look plausible, but why did it happen? I’ve investigated it for years but learned very little. Someone must’ve buried the truth! And considering the Okumura twins, Sir Pheles must know the truth. So I’m gonna make him talk! But that won’t be easy. I need some kind of ace in the hole! I have a couple rather crude options, but I’d rather avoid them.” Lightning stands up. “So we’re gonna track down every displaced worker to find out what became of them and ask about the Blue Night. Maybe we’ll learn something!” He starts taking more records off the shelves. “We’ve got five days to look up their contact information and determine their subsequent circumstances. Oh, and,” he throws the bag of hamburgers at me, and I catch it, “eat that if you get hungry. Thanks, assistant! Being a detective is exciting!”

As he gets to work, a thought crosses my mind.  _ I think my master is one messed-up dude! _

We work into the night, and once we’ve collected some of the former exorcists’ contact information, we go pay some of them a visit in disguises (which are somewhat ridiculous-looking, in my opinion, but somehow they work).

  
  


Rin POV

“Here, Yukio. There are still plenty of your favorite mackerel sandwiches left over,” I offer, holding out another one of the sandwiches I made for him and smuggled into his hospital room.

“Thank you,” he says gratefully. “But I’ve had enough. I’ve had three already.”

“Oh, really?” Leave it to  _ my _ twin to have such a small stomach especially when he’s still growing.  _ He’s still such a wimp sometimes. _

“Thank you for coming to see me,” Yukio tells the rest of my classmates, all of us crowded around his hospital bed. 

“No problem,” replies Koneko. 

“I’m glad your condition is improving,” admits Izumo. “You’re already working again!” He has his tablet on his lap and everything. 

“Except for broken bones, I’m fine.” Yukio gives a reassuring smile. “I’ll be out of the hospital in four days.”

“Well, don’t overdo it,” warns Ryuuji. A ringtone emits from his pocket.

“Bon, your phone is ringing,” Konekomaru informs him when he doesn’t respond to it. 

He picks it up. “Hello?” After listening to the other end for a moment, he hangs up. “Master’s getting impatient. He needs me to do something important. So I have to go now.”

“No problem. Thanks for making time for me,” Yukio thanks him. 

“Bye, Ryu!” I wave at him in farewell. 

“Yeah. See ya!” And he’s gone. 

“Visiting hours are almost over,” Koneko informs us, checking the time. “We should go too.”

As the rest of us make our way out, Shiemi stays behind for a moment. “Yuki! I put flowers in a vase for you. They should last about five days.”

“Thank you,” says Yukio. “Uh, Rin? A moment, if you would.”

“What’s up, brother?”

Everyone else is gone. And suddenly he’s quite serious. “Rin,” he begins slowly. “I want to apologize.”

“For what?” I ask, only half sarcastic. Because I think I know what he’s apologizing for. 

“I… I’m really sorry for shooting you back in Aomori,” he apologizes earnestly. “I didn’t want to, truly. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, even if you’ll regenerate, and I promise I was aiming for spots that would only  _ look  _ fatal, but…”

“Stop.” I sit down on his bed and take his hand in both of mine. “I understand. Really. You didn’t have a choice. It was shoot me or blow your cover and fail the mission. Thanks to that, the Illuminati doesn’t have Hachiro to experiment on, and we’re one step closer to beating them.” I kiss his forehead. “Don’t worry about it anymore, okay?”

He hugs me with his good arm, pressing his face into my shoulder. “Okay.”

“Just so you know, though,” I add, “if Dad ever finds out about this, that you shot me  _ four times _ , I don’t think he’ll be happy. I won’t tell him anything, but I can’t speak for Shura or Mephisto.”

“Yeah, I got it,” grumbles Yukio. 

“ _ And  _ you need to tell him about the little ‘experiments’ that you’ve been doing,” I scold, whispering in his ear. “Dad’s the paladin. He might be able to help you figure out whatever it is you’re worried about. Honestly, I can’t believe people call you the smart twin, because you should have gone to him in the first place instead of being so reckless.”

Yukio sighs. “Okay, fine. I’ll talk to him once I’m out of here,” he promises. 

I’m satisfied with his answer, and we remain in our embrace for a few more minutes until a nurse comes in and tells me that visiting hours are over. 

“Sorry for staying so long,” I apologize to the nurse as I get up. “I should get going, brother.”

“See you later, Rin.”

“Bye, Yukio,” I say, turning away from him to go to the door. I open it a crack before remembering something. “Don’t work too hard, yeah? Just focus on recovering.” I collect my things and leave the room, closing the door behind me. 

Immediately, though, I’m faced with a barricade of Shiemi, Izumo, and Nori. They all have guilty and knowledgeable, but also determined, expressions on their faces.  _ Uh oh. I’m in trouble.  _

Yukio POV

After my sister leaves, I stare at the closed door for a long time.  _ I can’t believe she’d actually… She  _ forgave _ me. I shot her four times! How could she forgive me so easily?! _

Sometimes, I feel like she cares about me too much. Always trying to get me to eat better, date Shima, work less in order to benefit my health… She’s like my mother, even though we’ve never met our real mom. It’s like Rin’s trying to raise both of us in our father’s absence, taking the role of the responsible adult trying to keep us alive while we don’t live with Father at the monastery. And I do nothing but cause trouble for her. Staying out and trying to kill myself, working too much (in her opinion), shooting her to create a diversion, and having a crush on a traitorous spy. I have to make it up to her. She’s going through so much, and I’m doing nothing but making things harder for her. 

_ What can I do to be a better sibling? _

  
  


Rin POV

“It’s so nice to have Shiemi’s friends over for a study sleepover!” Shiemi’s mother chirps cheerfully as she sets tea in front of the three of us. Nori had a date with a guy she met at the festival dance, so Shiemi and Izumo were the ones who dragged me to Shiemi’s house for a sleepover and a talk after visiting hours were over. At least they allowed me (under strict supervision) to grab an overnight bag from my dorm. 

“Yeah,  _ studying _ …” I mutter sarcastically under my breath as she walks away. More like an interrogation. Which I’m not ready for.  _ Why were they listening at the door anyway? So irritating! _

“Oh, don’t be like that, princess,” Izumo snaps at me.  _ Ugh, she’s bringing back the princess thing? _ “Out with it. Tell us everything you know. What happened between you and Yukio in Aomori?!” 

“What’s to tell?” I demand. “We were on a mission, and Yukio had a choice to make. Shoot me to keep up a bluff, or fail the mission. He was in the middle of deceiving the enemy into thinking he wanted power, and shot me only to keep up appearances. He knew I would heal quickly enough to help him when he needed it. That coward even used nutrient bullets.”

“I find it hard to believe that Yuki would willingly do something like that,” admits Shiemi. 

“He  _ didn’t  _ do it willingly,” I tell her. “He said he didn’t want to shoot me, and I believe him. He’s my twin brother. No matter what, he and I love each other, even if we fight sometimes, or get on each other’s nerves.”

“Tch,” scoffs Izumo. “Must be nice, having a sibling relationship like that.”

Then I remember what happened with her own sister. “Oh, Izumo, I’m so sorry,” I apologize earnestly. “I forgot about Tsukumo…”

“Why are you apologizing?” Izumo asks, confused. “Not like  _ you _ did anything to her. And anyway, it’s  _ you _ we should feel sorry for. I mean, he shot you… how many times? Four? Real brother of the year, isn’t he?”

“Izumo, let it go,” I scold. “He said he was sorry. He didn’t have a choice.”

“He’s a coward,” scoffs Izumo. “And he’s supposed to be an exorcist? He can’t even enter a committed relationship with the guy he likes.”

“That’s because of Renzo’s traitor status,” I argue. “That kind of relationship would be unstable if they tried anything right now. Now,  _ you two _ , on the other hand, have  _ no _ reason not to be together.”  _ Whoops. Cat’s out of the bag now. I can’t take that back no matter what I say.  _

“What?!” Izumo shrieks. “W-what are you talking about, Rin?!” she demands. 

“You mean me and Izumo?” Shiemi asks, as innocent and confused as always. 

“Come  _ on _ , you think I haven’t noticed your feelings for each other?” I snort in laughter. “Please. Give me  _ some _ credit. I  _ am _ pan, after all, so if I can’t pick up on romantic or sexual tension between two girls, then what’s the  _ point _ ?”

Izumo goes bright red. “S-so what if I’m a lesbian?” she demands, embarrassed. “I can’t help it if Shiemi’s so cute. What am I supposed to do? Not be attracted to her?”

I nod sagely. “I know. Girls are the best, am I right? If I wasn’t dating Ryuuji, Shiemi would be my first pick.” I turn to Shiemi. “Anyway, what about  _ your _ feelings for Izumo? Surely she’s not the  _ only _ one with a crush.”

“M-my feelings?!” Shiemi turns as red as Izumo still is. “I-I see Izumo as a friend! But I don’t really understand how romance is different from friendship. I don’t even know what love is. Everyone else is so grown up, and I’m just…”

“Shiemi,” I interrupt her. “Romance is a  _ lot _ different from friendship. I don’t know how to explain it, really. But take me and Ryuuji for example. We’re friends, but he’s also my boyfriend _.  _ We’re platonic and romantic simultaneously, but the two things are separate. I don’t really know how to explain it in words. Help me out, Izumo?”

“You two are both hopeless,” she scoffs. “I know exactly what you need, Shiemi, to learn more about the difference between romance and friendship.”

A huge pile of books slams down on the table in front of us. This _ is what Izumo left to get, the thing that Shiemi needs to learn more about love? _

“What’s all this?” Shiemi asks innocently.  _ Poor girl… She has absolutely no idea what she’s in for. _

“Shojo and yuri manga!” Izumo declares. “This shojo series has sold over twenty million copies! It’s super popular with junior high and high school girls, but Nori won’t read it! It’s called Kimi Monogatari! And this yuri series is a little less well-known, but it portrays a beautiful relationship between girls! This is what I read when I was discovering my own sexuality. Read these mangas and learn about love!”

Shiemi picks up a volume and stares at the cover. “Huh?”

“It’ll give you all the basics!”

“The basics?” I ask. “Izumo, do you really think  _ this _ is the best way?”

“Yes! A proper human being has to know about love! And you’re both going to study up!”

“I am  _ not _ going to ‘study up,’ Izumo,” I tell her grumpily, my tail twitching behind me impatiently. “And in case you haven’t noticed, I can hardly be called a ‘proper human being’ anymore. I’m half demon, remember? And I’m already in a relationship, so I don’t need advice on what love is.”  _ If she thinks I’m going to study something I already know about, even if I can’t put it into words, she’s very wrong. Besides, shojo manga isn’t my cup of tea. I’m more into shonen manga, with action and superpowers and lovable idiots. _

“I’ll study love!” Shiemi promises. 

“Good! Read up!” Izumo orders. “It’s interesting, and it’ll fire up your heart! So dig in deep!”

Izumo and I watch as Shiemi devours volume after volume of Kimi Monogatari, her expression turning from interested, to slightly embarrassed, to her whole face practically steaming up as she reads. She’s completely engrossed in her manga. 

Later, Shiemi’s mother calls us out for dinner, then after we eat we go right back to Shiemi’s study of love. Shiemi finishes Kimi Monogatari and picks up the first volume of the yuri manga. Meanwhile, Izumo and I get some studying for school and exorcism done. 

Eventually, rather late into the night, we all take baths and fall asleep, the three of us sprawled out in a big pile on Shiemi’s huge bed (more like Izumo and Shiemi are cuddling on top of me, but I don’t mind in the slightest, because it’s nice to bond like this). 

In the morning, I wake up alone in Shiemi’s bed. I yawn, wondering if the others have gone to have breakfast. I grope around for my phone and, once I have it, look at the time. It’s almost noon. 

_ Well, time to get up. I wonder why no one woke me? _ I slide out of bed, only to be caught by something. I trip, falling forwards, which turns out to be a mistake. “OWWWWW!” I scream.  _ My tail is caught in the sheets! How did this happen?! If it were any other part of my body, it wouldn’t be so bad! Why couldn’t it have just been my foot, huh?! _ I tug at it, but that only hurts more. I can’t even move due to the white-hot agony shooting up my spine, or I’d be getting up right now and freeing myself. 

Thankfully, Izumo and Shiemi heard my scream and have come running. “Rin!” Shiemi yells as she and Izumo arrive. “What happened?!”

They see my predicament, how I’m lying on the floor with my tail caught in the sheets of the bed behind me. Then they both start giggling. “Stop laughing!” I yell. “Do you realize how much this hurts?! Why don’t  _ you _ try living with a freaking tail that’s ultra sensitive to literally everything that touches it! Help me before I turn these sheets into a pile of ash!”

“Pfft! Sorry!” Izumo continues to giggle, while Shiemi gradually falls silent, an amused smile lingering on her face. “You just look so ridiculous! And your  _ bed head _ ! It’s hilarious! Hang on a sec, let me take a picture!” Before I can protest, her phone is in her hand and she’s snapping a photo of me. I do, however, have time to make a very angry face at her, which makes it into the photo. 

They help me escape, but for several minutes after that, I keep my tail tucked in close as a precaution. 

After I’ve gotten dressed and brushed my hair, we all thank Shiemi’s mother and head back to my dorm building so I can cook lunch for the three of us and Kuro. 

“So, Shiemi,” I begin casually as I put on the rice. “After all your ‘studying’ last night, do you know how you feel about Izumo?”

She squeaks fearfully. “I… I…”

“Oh, come now,” I scold playfully. Izumo’s ears perk up, listening intently. “Surely you must have known this was coming. You studied the topic of love  _ all _ night. You must have  _ some  _ idea about how to identify your feelings.”

“I… do know how I feel about Izumo,” she admits. 

“And…?” I prompt. “What’s the verdict?”

Shiemi goes bright red, lowers her eyes, and gives the slightest nod. “I-I um,” she stammers, then steels her nerves and turns to Izumo. “Izumo, I like you,” she declares with a sense of purpose. 

Izumo also blushes. “I like you too, Shiemi,” she admits, finally saying it explicitly. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” she asks boldly. 

Tears of joy appear in Shiemi’s eyes. “Yes! Thank you!” She throws her arms around Izumo, who seems surprised at first, but then reciprocates the hug. 

I grin. This is what I’ve been waiting for. “Congratulations, you two.”  _ I’m so proud of them. Now if only Yukio would get together with Renzo…  _

“Good morning everyone!” Shiemi greets Ryuuji, Renzo, and Konekomaru when we see them in the hallway.

“Good morning, Moriyama! Good morning, Rin!” Renzo replies cheerfully. “You both seem like you’re in a good mood!”

“Of course,” I say, grinning. “My matchmaking skills are top-notch. Guess who got herself a girlfriend!” I throw my arm around Shiemi, who smiles and blushes nervously. At the blank looks on the guys’ faces, I clarify, grinning. “Izumo and Shiemi are now officially dating!”

Konekomaru grins. “Congratulations!”

Meanwhile, Renzo gapes at Shiemi. “What?!  _ Moriyama _ can get some, but  _ I _ can’t?!”

“If you and Yukio would stop skirting around each other, you wouldn’t have this problem, would you?” I tease him. “You know, if you weren’t a spy, I bet you’d have a  _ much _ better chance,” I advise. 

“That’s not fair, Rin!” Renzo whines. 

“Oh, hey!” an unexpected voice calls out. “So who’s that I see?” I freeze.  _ I know that voice. _ My good mood is gone. “That would be Rin Okumura and my bride! Long time no see!”


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amaimon shows up, Ryuuji visits Rin and Yukio’s childhood home, the twins receive some tragic news, and Mephisto provides Lightning with valuable information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! A lot of intense stuff happens in this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it!

Rin POV

“Oh, hey!” a voice calls out. “So who’s that I see?” I freeze.  _ I know that voice. _ My good mood is gone. “That would be Rin Okumura and my bride! Long time no see!” Under my arm, I feel Shiemi stiffen up in fear.  _ She remembers what he did to her, what he almost made her into. _ We both turn around very slowly, and there he is. Amaimon, in the flesh. He steps right up to me and puts his face uncomfortably close to mine. “Hello again, my sweet little sister.”

But I don’t back down. “First of all,  _ don’t _ call me ‘little sister’. Don’t you  _ dare _ call me that after you already tried to kill me  _ twice _ . And second of all, Shiemi will  _ never _ be your bride. Now what do you want, Amaimon?” I growl. I’m still pissed at him after our last meeting. “Why are you here?”

“The truth is, I’d  _ love _ to murder you right now. But big bro made me promise to be a good student if he set me free,” Amaimon admits in annoyance.

“So go be a good little student somewhere else,” I hiss angrily, baring my fangs at him. I place my hand on Shiemi’s shoulder and start leading her away. I won’t let her stay near that demon a minute longer. 

“Huh? Walking away from me?” Amaimon demands. “I hate it when people walk away from me!”

I sense his fist coming before it hits me, so I spin around and catch it. “You never change, Amaimon. This is no place for fighting!” I scold angrily, and almost throw his fist back down to his side. 

“Why, you…” growls Amaimon, scowling. He looks like he’s ready to attack, but before he can, he’s intercepted. 

“Get away from her!” Shiemi shouts, pushing him away from me. He stumbles backward, and falls onto his hands and knees on the ground. 

He’s dazed for a moment. “Did you just… push me?”

“Stay away from my friends!” Shiemi orders angrily. 

But Amaimon just rises slowly. “How interesting. In consideration of your sense of humor, I’ll overlook that if you lick the ground as you crawl away!”

“Run, Moriyama!” Ryuuji shouts. “Get out of here, Rin! We’ll handle this!”

“No!” I snap. 

“I won’t run!” Shiemi insists. “Because I’m going to be an exorcist!”

“Nii!” Nii emerges from Shiemi’s hair. 

“Then die,” growls Amaimon, swinging his fist at us. 

“Nii! Protect us!” Shiemi orders. 

But before Amaimon can even touch us, he’s tackled to the ground by my very strong and sturdy boyfriend. “That’s enough!” Ryuuji snaps at Amaimon angrily. “You can’t keep attacking women!”

There are times when I want to roll my eyes and tell him not to be so protective, that I can take care of myself, but this time, I’m grateful. “Just get out of here,” I growl at Amaimon. 

“Fine,” Amaimon agrees reluctantly as Ryuuji lets him get up. “Oh, and by the way, little sister, big bro made me aware of your…  _ attachment _ to that human,” he points at Ryuuji, “and while the idea of killing both you and your pet is thrilling, I’ll be put back in big bro’s prison again if I try to hurt you. So consider yourself lucky.”

_ Both of us. He even wants to drag Ryuuji into this?! _ “You stay away from us!” I hiss at him.  _ I don’t care what he does to me, but if he touches my man, I will not hesitate to burn him alive. Especially since Ryuuji can’t regenerate like I can.  _

But Amaimon doesn’t say anything else as he turns around and departs. Behind me, I hear the guys muttering. 

“What’s Amaimon doing here at school?” Koneko asks. 

“Why is he in a school uniform?” Renzo wonders. 

“What’s Sir Pheles thinking? Why would he let a rabid dog like that loose?” Ryuuji speculates. 

“Come on, guys, we’ve gotta go to class,” insists Renzo. “Homeroom is starting!”

We’re all starting to head to class, but then a buzzing comes from Ryuuji’s pocket. His phone. He takes it out and looks at it, just as Konekomaru says, “See you later, Bon!”

“Yeah,” Ryuuji says distractedly. 

As I go to homeroom, I think back to what that was just now. Lightning contacted him again. I’m sure of it. And if I know Ryuuji, his dedication to his master is so great that he’ll miss class for him. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

“Did something happen?” I ask as I approach Lightning. “You’re the one who told me not to skip class!”

“If you were busy, you didn’t have to come,” he tells me nonchalantly. But he’s clearly been waiting for me. 

“No, I feel obligated,” I insist. 

“Ha ha…” he laughs good-naturedly. “Anything interesting happen today?”

“Amaimon showed up and started causing trouble,” I tell him. 

“Oh, really?” Lightning asks, interested. 

“Apparently, he’s a student now,” I explain. 

“Sweet! School sounds fun!”  _ How does it sound fun, with that demon around? _ “He’s in your grade, so introduce me. I wanna talk to him!”  _ Of course he would. My master, Lightning, the lover of demons.  _

“He’s not my  _ friend _ !” I snap at him, annoyed.

“Oh, that’s no fun!” Lightning pouts. “Has anything else happened?”  _ As if I’d tell him that our remaining two single female cram school classmates are now dating. I’m surprised that Rin really made that happen, actually. How did she do it? Kamiki doesn’t seem like the type of girl who’d want to date anyone, especially Moriyama. _

“Anyway, where are we going?” I ask as I follow him through a portal he’s opened with a key. “Aren’t we checking names in the registry?”  _ We’re clearly not going to the library, since we’re on a street that’s unfamiliar to me. Where are we? _

“We have to return the books to the library today, so I was investigating on my own, and the names got intriguing.” He hands me a small folded stack of papers, and I open it to read as I follow him. 

“Intriguing?” I ask. The first things I notice are the three names circled in blue. I also notice the name ‘Igor Neuhaus,’ but I don’t think I’m supposed to focus on that one. So I turn my attention to the ones circled in blue. “Naoya Kyodo, Seishiro Nagatomo, Tadashi Misumi,” I read aloud. “Who are they, exactly? And why are they intriguing?”

“They all live at the same place,” Lightning tells me. “First time that’s happened. Sounds interesting, no? The place itself suggests we’ll uncover something, but I’ll explain later.” I stare at his back as I walk behind him.  _ I’ve accompanied Lightning on his investigation for three days, and his methods are rough. I don’t want to cross my teacher, but…  _ “Oh, here we are!” Lightning exclaims as we reach our destination, which looks like a monastery. It’s surrounded by a tall iron-wrought fence and subtle signs of demonic protection. “Southern Cross Boys’ Monastery! This is where the Okumura twins grew up!”  _ This was… Rin’s childhood home? _ “Shiro Fujimoto, their adoptive father and the paladin, is the abbot.” We approach the monastery and Lightning rings the doorbell. “It can’t just be mere chance that the people here changed jobs right after the Blue Night.” No one has come to the door yet, so he calls, “Hello? I called earlier! I’m from the Order!”

The door finally opens, and Fujimoto himself is the one standing there. “Welcome to the monastery, Lightning,” my teacher — no, the paladin greets us. I can’t help but feel nervous as Fujimoto leads us inside Rin and Yukio’s childhood home.  _ This feels wrong. I shouldn’t be visiting this place under these conditions, as someone investigating the Blue Night. I should be here as Rin’s boyfriend, meeting her family for the first time. _ I look around as we enter the monastery, and the first thing I notice is the set of pencil marks on the corner of two walls. One set has the name ‘Rin’ underneath it, and the second is paired with the name ‘Yukio’. Each pencil mark has a height and a date next to it, starting at below the doorknob of a nearby door. Right from the beginning, the pencil marks for Yukio are higher than the ones for Rin. The height difference is small at first, but gradually grows larger.  _ This is their childhood home, and I feel like an intruder.  _

“Here you go.” A mug of something hot and pleasantly aromatic is set down on the table in front of my master. 

“Thanks!” Lightning says in grateful surprise. “I am Lewin Light,” he introduces himself to three of the four men across the table from us, “Arc Knight and exorcist, and a member of the Vatican branch of the Knights of the True Cross. The kid is my apprentice. Don’t mind him.” I do my duty and stay silent, bowing as respectfully as I can despite the fact that I’m sitting down. I can feel their eyes on me, and look up to see their scrutinizing gazes. They probably don’t like my earrings, and think I’m a rebel or something. I suddenly find myself even more nervous about what they think of me.  _ This is practically Rin’s family. They helped raise her and her brother, so other than Fujimoto, these three other men are probably like uncles or something to them. What would they think of me, the guy who’s dating the girl they raised? I wonder if any of them know about me yet. Surely she must call them from time to time, right? Or maybe Fujimoto told them at one point? _

“Well, I already know you and Suguro,” Fujimoto begins lightly. “So I’ll just have these guys introduce themselves.” He gestures to his fellow priests. 

“I am Seishiro Nagatomo,” the guy who has light brown hair introduces himself. 

“I’m Naoya Kyodo,” the man with short black hair continues, following suit. 

“And I’m Tadashi Misumi,” finishes the older man. 

“I’ve heard of the master of lightning,” admits Nagatomo. 

“Aw, you’re making me blush!” Lightning giggles in fake bashfulness as he scratches the back of his head. 

Fujimoto is looking at me. “So, my boy, how are things with you and Rin?” he asks casually. “You’re still treating her right, aren’t you?”

I bow my head respectfully. “Of course, sir,” I confirm. “We have not been able to spend as much time together as we would like to, but Rin understands that I have undertaken an important duty.”

Fujimoto laughs. “As formal as always, aren’t you, kid? Jeez, you’re just as uptight as your father was when I met him. Well, as long as you’re satisfying my daughter’s needs, I’ve got no problem with you.”

It takes everything in me not to blush at what he’s insinuating. Instead, I stare at him as innocently as possible. “Yes, sir. Having sessions to study together might not seem like a good way to have dates, but she’s happy with them since we don’t have time for much else.” 

“Huh… so  _ you’re  _ the guy who’s dating Rin,” Kyodo chuckles. “We heard about you a couple months ago.”

_ Really?  _ “You did?”

“Yep!” Nagatomo agrees. “And let me tell you, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you luck. When she was younger, she wasn’t exactly known for playing nice with others. You’ve got it rough, kid, but as long as you’re making Rin happy, you’ll be okay. And anyway, if you broke her heart,  _ she’s _ the one who’d break your legs before anyone else could get to you.”

I nod. “Yes, sir. I know that, sir.”

“You’re much more polite than you look, young man,” comments Misumi in amusement. “You seem more like a delinquent at first glance, what with all those piercings you’ve got.”

At his comment, I immediately become hyper aware of my earrings.  _ Yeah, I know I have a lot of piercings, and I don’t exactly have the friendliest-looking face. I’m glad they’re able to see past that and focus on my character instead…  _

Lightning clears his throat. “Well, Ryuuji, are you done meeting the in-laws? We’re here for a different purpose, you know.”

“Ah, yes, so you’re investigating the Blue Night?” Kyodo asks, back to business.  _ It’s like that embarrassing conversation about me and Rin never happened…  _

“Yes,” my master confirms. “I’m interviewing people from the Japan branch who changed jobs afterward. Nagatomo and Kyodo, you were exorcists before the Blue Night.” It’s not a question. 

“Yes,” answers Nagatomo. “After that night, Father Fujimoto here recruited me. As I’m sure you know, we worked hard to raise Rin and Yukio Okumura in absolute secrecy.”

“Yes, of course. And Fujimoto became the paladin as well as the abbot of this monastery after the Blue Night,” states Lightning in understanding. “And now, Misumi!”

“Y-yes?” the old man stammers. 

“You were a security guard at the east gate of True Cross Academy, but you later became a monk.” It sounds like an accusation. 

“Y-yes…” admits Misumi cautiously. 

“That’s quite a change of occupation,” comments Lightning. “Sorry, but I looked into your background.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all. “When you became a security guard 22 years ago, you were already a leading figure in genomic drug research at True Cross University and you were qualified as a physician. Yet despite this background, you stayed a security guard for several years! And now you’ve been a monk for 16 years. What an unusual life you’ve led! What happened to you? Please, do tell, Misumi.”

_ This is what my master does. He hits pressure points, bringing up the unpleasant histories of the people he interrogates, and just watches as they break down like Misumi is right now. _ He started shaking and sweating while Lightning was speaking, and now he has covered his face and started sobbing. 

“Misumi?!” Nagatomo exclaims in concern. He turns to us. “Misumi isn’t feeling well. I’m sorry, but you should leave now.” It doesn’t sound like he’s open for negotiation here, but my master doesn’t back down. 

“Why are you crying?” he asks Misumi innocently.

“That’s a private matter!” Fujimoto snaps, his good demeanor gone. “I must agree with Nagatomo, and ask you to leave! Kyodo, see them out.”

“Alright,” says Kyodo, moving to stand up. But as he does, Lightning employs a new tactic. He kicks the table over, spilling hot drinks everywhere and knocking the table into Kyodo. Misumi, the only one sitting down, is kicked backward out of his chair and pinned to the ground by Lightning. 

“Lightning!” I scold angrily.  _ Why does it always come to this?! I’ll let him work as he pleases for now, but the instant this gets out of hand…  _

“What’s going on, huh?” Lightning demands. “All four of you look guilty! But you disguise yourselves as clergy!” Misumi continues to sob. “Stop blubbering and spit out the truth!”

“B-but if I talk, they’ll  _ kill _ me!” Misumi stammers. “Y-you must know what will happen! It’s n-not just me! It’s everyone!”

“‘Come forth, Silvestre…’ and so on,” orders my master, summoning a sylph. “Circular saw!” The sylph spins around his forefinger, creating a deadly circular saw blade that he uses to rip into Misumi’s left ear. Misumi screams in pain and terror.

“What are you doing?!” Father Fujimoto demands. 

“Stop!” Nagatomo protests, but Lightning ignores him. 

“You’ve lived long enough, right?” Lightning asks Misumi. “So before you die, do the world a favor!”

Only now do I realize that I’m moving forward, and it isn’t until I knock the saw away from Misumi, cutting my finger, that I understand why. “Enough!” I shout at Lightning, stopping him from hurting Misumi any more. “He’s a human being!”  _ He’s taken it way too far! _

Lightning stares at me in surprise. Then gratefulness. “Thank you,” he thanks me sincerely. “I thought he was gonna blow chunks. Guess I went a little too far, huh?” The saw  _ poof _ s out of existence. “Sorry about that.” He gets up off Misumi, gives me a handkerchief to press over my bleeding hand, and begins to leave. I start to follow. 

“W… wait,” calls Misumi from his spot on the floor. “You’re right. I want to confess before I die.”

“Misumi?! No!” Nagatomo protests. 

“If this is his wish, let him,” Father Fujimoto orders coldly, holding Nagatomo back. 

Misumi is clearly nervous. He’s sweating and breathing heavily, but he’s not backing down. “I… I… I was in Section 13!”  _ What does that mean? What’s Section 13? _ A cloaked figure appears behind Misumi. “Elixirs…” Two skeletal arms appear from beneath the cloak, one holding a fancy-looking hourglass and one holding a scythe. 

Lightning clearly recognizes it. “Death… kin of time,” he whispers, just before the figure smashes the hourglass with its scythe. Misumi grunts, and collapses to the floor for the last time. 

“Misumi!” Nagatomo shouts. But it’s no good. Misumi is already gone. 

My master kneels down next to Misumi’s body. “Excuse me…” He examines Misumi and finds something on the back of his neck. “Just as I thought. A contract of Morinas.” He snaps a photo of it with his phone. “And I think I know who created it. Thanks, Misumi,” he tells the old man. “You’ve been very informative. Your death won’t be wasted.” He stands up. “Well, we’re done here. I’ll let you guys clean up,” he tells Fujimoto, Nagatomo and Kyodo. “If anything comes up, contact the Order.” He pulls on his jacket. “Let’s go,” he tells me. But I can’t just leave like this. I turn toward Fujimoto, Nagatomo and Kyodo and bow low in thanks and regret, before turning and following my master out of the monastery. 

As I leave, I hear Fujimoto say to Kyodo and Nagatomo, “I always knew this day would come…”

“Section 13 is a mystery to me,” Lightning tells me once we’re outside, “but elixirs are potions for immortality. Finally, a connection to the Illuminati!”

When I get back to school, it’s already lunchtime and it’s raining. I spot Shima, Rin, Godaiin, and Konekomaru sitting together at a table, talking. Godaiin only recently joined our little group of friends, thanks to Rin. She formally introduced us to him a few weeks ago, and whenever he could, he started hanging out with us. He’s actually not a bad guy. At first I thought he was interested in Rin, so I sort of made an extra show of affection toward her when I met him, to assert my status as her boyfriend, but he hasn’t made a move on her and I’m now convinced that he just wants to be her friend. 

“Bon!” Shima calls out to me. He and Koneko have spotted me, and Rin and Godaiin turn their heads to see where Shima is calling to. “Whatcha doin’ over there? It’s creepy!”  _ Creepy? The perverted spy is calling  _ me  _ creepy?  _ I sigh and head over to their table. “Aw, man, you’re drenched!”

“Why were you out in the rain?” Konekomaru asks.

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell them as I greet my girlfriend with a kiss and go to sit down on the other side of Shima. 

Rin holds out some cafeteria food toward me with a smile. “Here, Ryuuji. Godaiin got you your usual!”

“Thanks, Godaiin,” I tell him gratefully as I take the food from Rin. 

“You’re welcome,” he responds politely. 

“Bon,” says Shima. “Did you hear what happened with Amaimon?”

_ Of course not! I’ve been out all day with Lightning!  _ But I don’t think he cares, so I let it go and ask as curiously as possible, “What happened?”

“It’s terrible,” groans Rin as I dig into the lunch that Godaiin got me. “He’s in Shiemi’s class. They introduced him as ‘Ambrosius Faust, Chairman Faust’s nephew’. He’s only there to put pressure on Shiemi! And what’s with ‘Ambrosius’? That’s the dumbest fake name I’ve ever heard!” She’s getting very upset about this, and I understand why. Moriyama is her friend, and Rin is very protective over her. Amaimon being in Moriyama’s class makes Rin’s job of protecting her friend a lot harder. 

“You worried he’s thinking, ‘I’ll teach her a lesson for defying me, the King of Earth’?” Shima asks. 

“Oh, I know he will,” hisses Rin, baring her fangs. “If I know anything about Amaimon, it’s that he’s no pushover when it comes to revenge.” She sounds like she knows from experience that doesn’t just come from that night in the forest, when her identity was exposed. 

“Moriyama spoke out pretty strongly against him, though,” Konekomaru points out. 

“Girls are unexpectedly strong, huh?” says Godaiin in awe. 

“Oh, you better believe it’s not so unexpected,” says Rin, jabbing a finger into his chest. “Let’s put you in an arm wrestling match against me, and we’ll see who’s the ‘unexpected’ winner.” But she doesn’t really sound angry anymore. She sounds like she’s just messing with him. He gulps guiltily, nonetheless. 

But Godaiin doesn’t look nearly as guilty as I feel right now. As I chew on my food, barely tasting it, I think about the events of this morning.  _ I visited Rin’s childhood home, met her dad and the rest of her adoptive family, and was pretty much indirectly responsible for the death of an old man Rin had grown up with and probably loved. How can I tell her something so awful? That my master forced the old monk to confess, causing his death? Forget the fact that I was already told to keep this a secret by my master. It would be impossible for me to tell Rin any of this. _

“Oh, hey ladies!” Shima calls, waving. Moriyama, Kamiki, and Paku are walking by. Moriyama and Kamiki are holding hands. “There’re seats over here!” Surprisingly, they do come over and sit with us. “We were just talking about you, Moriyama.”

“What?” Moriyama asks, confused. 

“Just about how Amaimon is in your class,” explains Rin. “And how strongly you spoke out against him this morning.”

“I see,” murmurs Moriyama, nodding. 

But then someone else approaches us. “Huh?” gasps Koneko in confusion. 

“Hey, everyone,” the newcomer greets us. “Can I have a moment?”

“Yukio?!” Rin stares at her brother in shock, as if unable to believe that he’s right here with us. But there he is, in his school uniform and his arm in a sling. 

“Yukio, weren’t you supposed to be discharged tomorrow?” Konekomaru asks. 

“I was healthy enough so they pushed it up to yesterday,” explains Yukio. “And from there, I went straight to the Vatican headquarters to take care of some things.”

“Yesterday?!” Rin demands. “And you didn’t even tell  _ me _ ?!”

“Sorry, Rin,” he apologizes a bit sheepishly. 

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t cut it with you anymore, Yuki,” she scolds, scowling.

“How did you manage on your own with only one hand?” Moriyama asks in concern, changing the subject. 

“Once you get used to it, it’s surprisingly easy,” Yukio replies, smiling at her reassuringly. 

“Don’t be so stiff,” grumbles Rin. “Shouldn’t you take it easy a bit longer?”

“I’m fine,” he promises. “Regardless of that, you guys still have your midterms in three days.” A jolt of surprise and fear makes its way around the table.  _ We all forgot about midterms. _ “The certification exam is important, but you need to study for your high school exams too. By the way, Rin,” he says, bending down next to his twin, “got a sec?” He straightens up.

“Huh?” She stands up with him. “What is it?” He whispers something in her ear, and her eyes widen in shock and horror. “What?!” She looks at her brother as if to make sure he wasn’t joking about whatever it was he said. “Gramps is…”

All at once, the image of Misumi’s dead body fills my mind.  _ Gramps. She called him Gramps. He was special to her, and I let him die. _ “Father called earlier. He said he passed away this morning from acute heart failure,” Yukio informs her regretfully. “They’re holding the funeral tonight, so we need to go to the monastery right after school.”

“This is so sudden,” Rin whispers sorrowfully. 

“There’s no helping it. He’s reached that age.” Yukio puts good his arm around Rin to comfort her, and she leans into his hug. 

“I know, but still…”

Suddenly I feel a buzzing in my pocket. My phone. I take it out, and see that I’ve got another summons from Lightning. “I gotta go,” I say, getting up. “I’ll pay you back for the bread tomorrow,” I tell Godaiin. “Sorry!”

“Excuse me!” Lightning yells as he storms through the halls of Sir Pheles’ mansion. 

“Please stop!” begs the demonic butler. “We can’t let you in! Our master is in the bath right now…”

“I’m sorry!” I yell in apology for my master. “Lightning!” But despite my and the butler’s protests, Lightning slams open the door to the bathroom.

Sir Pheles screams like a woman.  _ This is Samael, King of Time?  _ I think in disappointment. Some demon  _ he _ is. “Pervert!” he accuses Lightning. “Belial! Why did you let this pervert in?! You call yourself a demon?! Try harder! Do your job pr— HMBB!” He’s cut off when Lightning covers his mouth with his hand, squeezing his cheeks in. 

Lightning pulls out his phone, unlocks it, and shoves it very close to Sir Pheles’ eyes, showing him something. “This is a seal that showed up on the nape of a man bound by a Morinas contract and killed by ‘death’ this morning, and there’s not a single record of it in that registry of contracts. Death is the messenger of time, so either you ordered it as your familiar, or you made the contract yourself. Either way, an unofficial Morinas contract is forbidden by the Order.” Sir Pheles tries to protest, or at least that’s what I think he does, but I can’t understand him from the way his mouth is being squeezed. “Alright, enough with the jokes. What is Section 13? Were they researching the elixir? Or perhaps they’re still researching it? With a body like that, surely you’d want an immortal body, no?” Sir Pheles doesn’t even try to say anything. Come to think of it, his body  _ does _ look like it’s deteriorating. It’s like it’s actually rotting, very slowly. 

Suddenly Sir Pheles is no longer held by the face in Lightning’s hand, but he’s sitting, with one leg strategically crossed over the other, on the opposite side of his huge bathtub. “That’s a lot of false accusations,” he tells Lightning. 

“That’s your response?” my master asks. “So is it okay if I bring your forbidden contract before a council of enquiry?”

Sir Pheles doesn’t answer for a moment. Finally, he sighs. “I see,” he says. “I can’t have any trouble right now, you see. I’ll tell you where to find what you’re looking for. You should let the ‘hand’ grasp the ‘key’. However, I recommend you do this outside the gaze of the public eye.”

“Okay. That’s fine for now,” says Lightning, turning to leave. “Let’s go,” he tells me. 

_ Just like that? _ “Okay!” I reply as I follow him.  _ Where are we going? And what did that mean? _


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji and Lightning meet someone unexpected and travel through a portal to the past to learn the truth about the Blue Night. Rin and Yukio attend a funeral and have a moment of bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Wow, I can’t believe it has been 50 chapters already! I could not have done this without your continued support, so thank you all so much. Please continue to leave kudos if you like this fic, and comments if you have any sort of opinion on it. See you all next week, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ryuuji POV

“True Cross Academy is a jumble of architecture from all times and places,” Lightning explains as he leads me on a stroll through the halls, taking me here as soon as we left Sir Pheles’ place. “The exorcist cram school takes most of its design from the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. And there’s this legend surrounding that place. ‘The moor king who built this castle made a contract with a demon and used that power to hide his vast treasure. When that contract is broken, the hand carved on the gate of judgement will grasp the key. At that moment, the palace will crumble and moor’s treasure will be revealed’.”

He stops at a doorway, and shines his light above it. “There’s a hand-shaped hole carved into the keystone!” I observe. 

“The inner side of the gate is supposed to have a relief of a key,” says Lightning, shining his light around. “But it’s not here.” He looks around more, and finally spots it. “It’s on the opposite side…”

“Sir Pheles said we should let the hand grasp the key,” I remember. “But how exactly…”

Lightning has already found something, though. A loose floor-tile, some instructions, and a secret compartment holding a magnifying glass later, and he’s figured it out. “I see. It’s simpler than I thought…” I still don’t quite understand, though. “Just in case, turn off your flashlight,” he tells me. 

“Okay…” I obey his orders. 

“You’ll understand in an instant,” he says as he shines his light through the magnifying glass. The light reflects off something, shining up and through the hand. The hand-shaped light hits the key, and…

“The key’s in the hand…” I whisper incredulously. 

Suddenly we’re surrounded by a blinding white light, and I remember nothing more. 

  
  


Rin POV

“The souls of those who believe in God are protected by his hand,” Father Fujimoto is preaching from the altar at the front of the chapel. Misumi… Gramps… is in the open casket before him. “There’s no need for any kind of blame or suffering now. Without fear of punishment, the arms of God will embrace, like a father embraces his children…”

Dad finishes his sermon, and we all place flowers on Misumi’s body. When it’s my turn, I quietly pay my respects. 

Yukio and I were summoned back home for the funeral. When we got back, we greeted everyone briefly and headed to our respective rooms, where we still had some of our clothes stored, the stuff we didn’t need for school. Yukio found a black suit that still fits him, and I put on a black dress and a little bit of makeup (which I had to dig out of the drawer I stored it in and probably didn’t put on very well) for the funeral. 

“It hasn’t even been nine months since Dad went into his coma,” I tell Yukio in the hallway after the funeral, “but it feels like it’s been two or three years now.”

“You’re right,” my twin agrees solemnly. 

“It was also raining that day,” I note sadly, staring out the window at the pouring rain. 

“Yeah,” he agrees again, staring out the window with me. 

A few more seconds pass. “Why’d it have to be this way, Yuki?” I ask miserably. “Why’d Gramps have to die? And why does this war with Lucifer even exist?”

My brother puts his good arm around my shoulders to comfort me. “I don’t know, Rin. There’s a much bigger picture, but I can’t see it. No one tells us anything. Not about Lucifer, or the Blue Night, or anything.”

I turn into his body, lean my head against his chest, and wrap my arms around his waist. Yukio returns the hug.  _ He does have a point, though. No one tells us anything about what’s really going on. It’s so frustrating. _ We remain in our tight embrace for a long time. 

Yukio and I are walking to his old room, because after all that happened in mine I refuse to sleep in there again (even though my clothes remained in my own closet and I’d go in there to change and stuff, we shared his room in between the time that Dad was possessed and when we had to go to True Cross Academy for the first time, since he still has our old bunk bed in there), when we overhear something from behind a closed door. “I shouldn’t have let him in!”  _ Dad? _

“Saying that now won’t change anything,” reasons another voice. Kyodo. “Misumi was prepared. There’s nothing we could have done. And besides, it was Lightning the Arc Knight we’re talking about. You can’t just tell him no.”

“True, but I’m still the paladin,” argues Father, “so I outrank him.”

I exchange looks with my brother.  _ Lightning? He was here? _ _ But if Lightning was here, then so was Ryuuji. He was with Lightning all morning. Ryuuji must know about Gramps’ death. Is that why he was acting so weird at lunch today? Either way, though, I’m sure I’ll forgive him. I loved Misumi when I was growing up, but holding a grudge won’t bring him back. I’m sure it wasn’t Ryuuji’s fault. _

I point down the hall.  _ Keep walking,  _ I mouth to Yukio. We don’t want to be caught. We continue on our trip to his room. I still refuse to sleep in mine, since that’s where this all began when my dad was nearly murdered by Satan. 

“Argh! I can’t do this anymore! My brain hurts!” I complain loudly. Ever since we got back to Yukio’s room, which still contains our bunk bed that we shared until we were twelve, my brother has been making me study for final exams. “I’m so  _ tired _ , Yuki!” I collapse backwards on the lower bunk dramatically, since Yukio claimed the top one after I got my own room. 

“Stop your grumbling.  _ You’re  _ the one who decided to procrastinate on this,” Yukio wearily argues, working on his own homework. 

In annoyance, I launch the nearest object at him. Which happens to be a pillow. It hits him squarely in the face and knocks off his glasses, which fall into his lap from where he’s sitting at the desk. 

We both freeze.  _ Whoops. Didn’t mean to do that.  _ But he calmly places his glasses on the desk, stands up, and walks slowly toward the bunk bed, expressionless. I’m suddenly very, very terrified of my brother. But he doesn’t even acknowledge me. He reaches up to the top bunk and grabs something. Before I even realize what’s happening, something slams into my face. 

Completely blindsided, I blink several times. Then I look at him. He’s holding a pillow in his good hand, and the expression on his face is…  _ Is he  _ smug _ about this?! He’s actually  _ smirking _! _

I stand up so that my face is at least level with his chest. “Big mistake, little brother.” I flash a fanged grin at him, and then I’m gone, retrieving my pillow. 

For what feels like several minutes, we exchange cushioned blows, shouting at each other and laughing. Just as I’m sure that I’m winning, though, Dad slams the door open. “What the devil are you two doing in here to make so much unruly noise at this ungodly hour?!” he demands. “Quiet down!” Then he sees us. I’m straddling Yukio’s stomach and have him pinned down with a pillow in my hand, and Yukio is trapped, still without his glasses, beneath me with his pillow pressed hard against the side of my face, trying to keep me at bay. Dad stares at us for a long moment. We stare back at him. Then he spins around, steps out of the room, and slams the door behind him. It’s a little faint, but I hear him grumble the words, “Little devil children,” in exasperation. 

Simultaneously, Yukio and I look at each other. But my composure doesn’t last long at all. “Pfft!” I snort in laughter. “Yuki! Did you hear that?! Ha ha ha!” I collapse on top of him, giggling. 

Even Yukio is chuckling. “He’s not wrong,” he reasons. “We  _ are _ the children of Satan. Come on, Rin, get off me. It’s time for bed. I think that pillow fight ended in a draw, don’t you?”

“Ha! As if!” I laugh. “I totally won!  _ I’m _ the one who came out on top! Ow!” Yukio just flicked me in the forehead.  _ Okay… I guess I deserved that. _ “Still, though, this was fun,” I admit as I get up. “We need to have pillow fights more often, Yukio.”

He snorts as he stands up. “What, like some kind of sibling bonding or something? Kinda childish, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but we still  _ are _ kids, technically,” I inform him. “You’re the only one who seems to forget that.” Then I get an idea. “Hey! We should invite everyone else to do it too! All the cram school students, I mean. All of us could have one big pillow battle royale! How fun does  _ that _ sound?!”

Yukio chuckles, then pulls me into a strong, one-armed hug. “Even with your battle experience, you’re still so carefree, sister,” he says, leaning down and kissing the top of my head. “Never ever change, Rin.”

My lips twitch up in a smile as I hug him back. “You either, Yuki.” After a moment, I look up at him. “Hey, Yukio?” I begin, putting on a more sober tone as I address what needs to be said. “While we’re home, are you going to tell Dad about… well, your little problem? With your eyes?”

My twin releases me and steps back. “Actually, Rin, I…” He sighs, and retrieves his glasses from where they were left on the desk. “I was having the same thought while we were on our way back to the monastery.”

I nod toward the door. “So go talk to him,” I urge. “I’ll clean up the room from what we just did to mess it up, and you go tell him about your eyes.” There are feathers all over the floor from the pillows, and we may or may not have knocked over more than a few things. “Like it or not, Yuki, you need help with this.”

“You’re right, Rin,” he agrees. “Thank you.” And, not without the clear signs of anxiety and nervousness, Yukio strides out the door.

  
  


Ryuuji POV

The light fades, and I open my eyes. I look around, and can’t believe where we are.  _ This is…  _ “The exorcist cram school? No, but this…” I mutter. 

“Amazing,” says Lightning. “This is most likely the previous exorcist cram school, the exorcist training dormitory also known as Asylum.”  _ This decrepit old place is what? _ “Shiro Fujimoto and the former acting paladin, Arthur Angel, both came from the Asylum. But it was shut down sixteen years ago because this is where the Blue Night happened. According to the official report, Satan incarnated himself, and conceived children with Yuri Egin, a lower-class exorcist. That all happened  _ here _ .”  _ What? The Blue Night… Satan… This is where that all happened? _ “But Sir Pheles is pretty amazing!” Lightning continues, unaware of my inner turmoil. “He must have stored the whole thing in a separate dimension after the Blue Night. Either way, there’s no doubt we’ll find plenty of secrets left behind here! Let’s get started.” He turns and starts walking away, meaning for me to follow him. “Time is of the essence!” But I don’t move. I have something to say.  _ How can he not be bothered by all this? _ “Huh?” My master turns and looks at me in curiosity. 

“Today, I…” I begin. “I couldn’t be honest with Rin or Yukio. I was involved in the death of one of their family members, and I hate having to keep quiet about it! Have you thought about it at all?!”  _ If only I could tell Rin what happened! I hate keeping secrets from her! _

“What happened with that old man was regrettable,” Lightning tells me. “I have a grandfather, so it hurts me too.”

“Lies,” I growl. 

“Correct!” my master congratulates me. “I’m the type of person who can’t sympathize with other human beings. I’ve also lacked emotions since birth. Though, it’s a lot better now. When I was little, I thought demons were more interesting than humans. I was even nasty enough to be feared as a ‘demon’ myself. I used to cause a lot of trouble for my parents. I didn’t worry about it, see, because I really loved demons. But I love humans even more. I love everything in this world. That’s why I’ll do whatever it takes to protect it. One of the reasons I made you my apprentice was because I thought you were a respectable human being with good common sense. Having someone with an upright sense of judgement by my side is reassuring. But I’m the type of person who could abandon you if necessary,” he says. “Anyway, if we continue now, there’s no going back for various reasons. If you’re going to quit, now’s the time. This is my last piece of advice to you.”

_ Quit?  _ “Tch!”  _ As if I’d leave him that easily! _ “Then I’ll be your brakes! I can’t let you go on alone after coming this far. We’re finishing this together!”

Lightning isn’t even able to hold his smirk for a full second before he bursts into laughter. “You really must be some kind of masochist, huh?! Is this that so-called samurai spirit? Harakiri and all that.”

“How is that funny?!” I yell. 

“But thank you,” says Lightning gratefully when he has stopped laughing. “That’s a relief.”

And that’s when I notice the disembodied, stitched-up hand crawling right past us. “Woah!” I yelp. “What  _ is  _ that?!”

But it doesn’t pay any attention to my outburst. Instead, it heads straight for the shadowy doorway in front of us, only to be picked up by another hand, this one attached to someone. Lightning gasps softly, recognizing the man with the eyepatch. I recognize him as well. “It’s you!” 

“Lewin Light!?” the man exclaims in surprise. “And Ryuuji Suguro… Why are you here?”

“That’s my line, Dr. Igor Neuhaus!” Lightning says, and from what I can tell, he has a big amused grin on his face.  _ What is our old Magic Circles teacher doing here?  _ “Sir Pheles told me that you’d gone missing. To think I’d run into you here!” Sure enough, there he is, the teacher that disappeared all those months ago, just after the esquire exam. 

“Hmm,” hums Neuhaus thoughtfully as he casually (too casually, in my opinion) places the disembodied hand on his shoulder like it’s a parrot or some other accessory. “So that’s the official statement? Is he the one that led you here?”

“Yeah,” my master answers. 

“Then there’s no problem,” says Neuhaus as he walks past us. “This is  _ his _ garden after all. Do as you like.”

“Woah, woah, hold it right there!” Lightning catches Neuhaus’ sleeve. “You’re almost on my level in terms of cleanliness,” he notes, suddenly acting friendly. He’s right, though, about how filthy Neuhaus is.  _ I bet he hasn’t bathed in weeks. _ “I take it you don’t see many other people down here. Let’s have a little chat!” Neuhaus just silently looks at my master and grits his teeth in disgust. Having a little chat seems to be the last thing he wants to do, and I don’t really blame him. “I’ve been investigating the Illuminati with my apprentice Suguro here,” says Lightning, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at me, “and we finally got this far, you see. So what exactly is a doctor such as yourself doing here?”

“I don’t need to answer that,” Neuhaus says grumpily as he walks away. 

“Aww,” pouts Lightning in a slightly playful manner, “but a nice old man we met this morning already told us about Section 13 and the elixir. He died shortly after that.” His playfulness is gone. “I wonder if the same will happen to you, doctor.” Neuhaus stops dead in his tracks. “You have the same blood seal, I presume? That of a Morinas contract?”

It takes a very long moment, but Neuhaus finally reacts to what Lightning said, turning around and glaring at us with his one eye. Then he sighs in defeat and points at a doorway. “If you’re looking for Section 13, it’s in there.”  _ He’s just going to tell us?!  _ “In the original timeline, they rebuilt the cram school right here, and removed all traces of Section 13. But in this timeline, it’s all exactly the same as it was after the Blue Night. Feel free to look around. I’ll leave you alone now.” And with no other words, he turns back around and walks away. 

“He’s a ray of sunshine…” mutters Lightning sarcastically. 

“What did you expect?!” I demand.  _ He threatened him! _

“Whatever. He showed us the way. Let’s check it out!”

We shine our flashlights around as we walk down the long, dark hallway. “There are still charred remains here from the Blue Night,” Lightning notices. “I’ve seen this in pictures.”

I look into a room off to the right hand side, and the beam of my flashlight hits the rows and rows of bunk beds, at least four high apiece. “There are beds where the classrooms should be,” I report to Lightning. 

“Asylum would take in orphans that were related to demons or had a mashou,” says Lightning as we continue our investigation, “and train them if they had the right qualities. At least, that’s what it was officially.”

And then we come across the very place we’re looking for. From one wall to the other is a chain link fence. The fence has a huge, gaping hole in the middle. Behind it is a huge doorway, and above that is the number 0013. “Section 13,” I breathe quietly to myself. And against my better judgement, I follow my master through the dark doorway. 

We splash into an ankle-deep layer of water just beyond the entrance to Section 13. “Oh, man!” Lightning complains as we wade our way through. “And now I’m soaked. I went through all the trouble of changing for this… I hope the evidence is okay.”

Something captures my attention out of the corner of my eye in one of the rooms, and I shine my light inside.  _ What’s this about?  _ “There are… a lot of delivery tables here,” I note.  _ But why would they need delivery tables here? _

“How peculiar,” says Lightning thoughtfully. We continue, and eventually come across another room. “Oh! An archive!” There are shelves and shelves of binders and folders. “There should be some research logs in here.” Lightning grabs one and opens it after reading the cover. “‘Serum drug development research logbook’.” I read a few of the logs over his shoulder, and what they did was unbelievable. “It looks like they were conducting human trials on a drug to restore life. In other words, these are the records of the elixir research! Sweet! We’ve hit the jackpot here!”

But another thing catches my eye, another room. So while my master flips through page after page of research logs, I go investigate the other room. But when I shine my light inside, the things I see…  _ There’s no way this can be real. I can’t believe it…  _ “Lightning!” I yell. He needs to see this. 

My master comes running. “What is it, Ryuuji?” Then he sees what I’m looking at, and gasps in surprise. I’m still having trouble with this myself. “Let me get this straight,” he says as he stares at the enormous tubes. Some, the whole ones, contain intact humans floating in a sort of liquid. The others, the broken ones, contain nothing but skeletons. “Basically, until it was destroyed on the Blue Night, the Asylum was a cover for a research facility called Section 13, where they conducted illegal human experimentation for the elixir, and mass-produced clones of the demon kings!”


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuji and Lewin learn more about the Blue Night, Mephisto tells a story, and the kids plan a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Happy holidays! As a special present for whatever holiday you celebrate, I’ll post a second chapter today. I hope you enjoy them!

Ryuuji POV

“Let me get this straight,” says Lightning as he stares around at all the tubes filled with bodies. “Basically, Asylum, in secret, was mass-producing clones of the eight demon kings.”

_ They were… what?! Of who?! _ “What do you mean?!” I exclaim. “Demon kings… you mean the Ba’al?! I can’t believe it…”

“‘Lu,’” he reads. “Lucifer. ‘Sm,’ Samael. ‘Az…’” With the last one, he trails off, lost in thought. Then he pulls out the archive he was going through earlier, flipping it open. “Ryuuji, give me some light.”

Too surprised to disobey, I approach and aim my flashlight at the records. “What is it?” I ask. Then I notice the name at the top of one of the pages, the name of the one the clones were made from. Azazel. “That file…” My master is still staring down at it in disbelief. “Lightning?” He’s unresponsive. “Lightning!” I yell in his ear. Finally, he snaps out of it. “Are you okay?”

“Ah, sorry,” he apologizes. “I panicked for a second.”  _ He panicked? Lewin Light, of all people, panicked? _ I find that hard to believe, coming from the guy who is always calm and composed and emotionally deficient. “This is the experimentation record for the clones that were experimented on,” he tells me as he flips through the pages. “Most likely…”

But I see someone I recognize. “Wait!” I shout. And the name at the top… “Ambrosius…” I recall something Rin said earlier today.  _ “And what’s with ‘Ambrosius’? That’s the dumbest fake name I’ve ever heard!”  _ There’s no doubt about it.  _ This guy is… _ “Amaimon…”

I can tell that Lightning is surprised to hear that name. “Are you sure?”

“He looks similar,” I tell him, staring at the photo. “No… he’s the spitting image of Amaimon!”  _ If this is Amaimon’s possession body, and it came from here…  _ “This… does this mean the True Cross Order created bodies for the Ba’al?! That’s… if this is all on Sir Pheles’ authority, the Order’s higher-ups wouldn’t even know, right?!”

Lightning laughs. “If that’s true, the organization we work for is pretty darn evil!” My eye twitches.  _ He’s laughing at a time like this?! _ “It’s still too early to say for sure. We should investigate a little more first. The possibilities are overwhelmingly grim though…” He trails off, his grin fading from his face. “Gramps…” he whispers. 

“Eh?”  _ Gramps? Who’s he talking about? _

“Anyway, that aside, the real problem is…” But he’s interrupted by the nearest glass tube breaking, and its inhabitant leaping out and attacking him, soaking him completely in the process. “Come out, Set!” Lightning yells. “Amshir… and the rest is omitted!” The sylph he summons wards off his attacker, but the others are starting to stir in their tubes. “This isn’t good. We’re leaving for now!”

We start to retreat, but suddenly another tube right above me breaks, and a human experiment, as well as a wall of water, crashes down on me. “Woah!” I yelp. 

“Good grief,” says a voice that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “After finally getting them to sleep quietly, you two had to make all this noise.”

I recognize that voice. So does my master. “Mephisto!” Lightning yells. 

“ _ This _ is a space I’ve saved by splitting it from the original timeline,” continues Sir Pheles. “Time passes at the same rate here, so they’ve been sitting here for over ten years. Contact with the open air probably accelerated their deterioration. But look at you two!” He sounds like a disappointed parent. “Perhaps you would enjoy a bath?”

And before I even know what’s happening, I’m falling, naked, into Sir Pheles’ enormous bathtub, alongside my master. I sputter, coming up for air. “Wh…?”

“Let’s clean you two up!” Sir Pheles suggests. “Belial!”

I just have time to look up before Belial brandishes a long-handled brush at us and begins scrubbing… well,  _ everywhere _ . “Hey!” I yell.  _ I didn’t ask for this! _

“What is this?!” Lightning demands. “We were still gathering data!”

But Sir Pheles just chuckles. “It’s rare to see you lose your composure like this.” He smirks. “I don’t dislike them, those human qualities of yours. I showed you how to open the lock. You’re free to access that space as you please. Please investigate as much as you want.”

“What is your aim?” Lightning asks. “Why did you show us that place?”

“As an explanation of sorts. You’re quite persistent. Both the Order and I have no ties to the Illuminati. And we’re not secretly working with Lucifer either. Gehenna’s power structure is simple. There’s been a long-standing conflict between Lucifer’s faction, who view humans as hostile, and the Order’s faction, who wish to cooperate with humans. Of course, I’m on the Order’s side.”

“That’s just what you demons say,” accuses Lightning skeptically. “After seeing those things, I can’t trust you.”

“Let me tell you an old story,” Sir Pheles continues. “In ancient times, we Ba’al were merely a concept. We maintained a fixed distance from humans. However, as human civilization developed, our ‘silhouettes’ became much more prominent. We gained well-defined appearances, and then, at long last, we were incarnated. Both of you, who naturally have bodies, probably wouldn’t be able to understand, but for us, obtaining a body is immensely thrilling. Even I was completely immersed in pleasure when I was first incarnated. The awakening of the ‘ego,’ the intoxication of the ‘five senses.’ After experiencing it just once, it was impossible to live without. However, a body doesn’t last forever. Because of our power, the regenerative ability of our cells exceeds that of humans, but for a high-level king, the rate of deterioration is correspondingly high. And yet, we Ba’al can’t die. Even if our bodies perish, we will continue to exist as a concept. For us Ba’al, after having your ‘ego’ sprout, such a fate is excruciatingly unfathomable. The first to experience it was the eldest brother, the King of Light, Lucifer. Out of the Ba’al, he suffers the fastest degradation. His bodies don’t even last ten years. Humanity was the outlet for all that stress. He convinced us to join him in attacking humanity. The result was an era of wanton destruction, fire, flooding, and disease. Some of my brothers and I decided that humanity would go extinct if this continues. So we gave them knowledge of how to fight demons. That was the beginning of the True Cross Order. By doing that, we created a conflict that has preserved the equilibrium of the world. But that was only about 100 years ago. After that, we cut off ties with big brother Lucifer.” Then he tells us about a debate that he and the other Ba’al had. 

_ “I’m at my limit,” said Lucifer. “It has all come to naught.” _

_ “Please calm down, big brother,” suggested Samael.  _

_ “Perhaps it’s difficult to understand for you, who can prolong your life through the power of time,” Lucifer told Samael in annoyance. “My body’s in pain. This world is a world of suffering. That’s right, Amaimon, your body is also at its limit, and you have yet to find a replacement.” _

_ “Yes,” said Amaimon, not disagreeing with Lucifer’s claim.  _

_ “I understand,” said Lucifer. “You’re in pain as well. It’s not just Amaimon. Among those of us here, how many have a truly healthy body? How can this world be this cruel and unfair? It should be more equal.” _

_ “Tch!” Samael scoffed. “So, what will you do?” _

_ “I’ll kill myself,” declared Lucifer. “I’ll release all the power I have and destroy this planet.” _

“Wait,” I interrupt, pausing Sir Pheles’ story. “This kind of thing was happening even before the Blue Night?!”

“That’s correct,” confirms Sir Pheles. “And it could have resulted in a disaster on the scale of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.” He continues his story. 

_ “By doing this, everyone will equally return to being concepts,” said Lucifer. “We’ll return to an equal world without suffering.” _

_ “Lucifer,” someone protested, “I sympathize with you, but you can’t force others into this world you see.” _

_ “Silence, you nephilim! Humans have only brought disorder to this world.” _

_ “That’s right. We gods should lead the way to immaculacy!” _

_ “But if we were to do such a thing, humanity would be wiped out…” _

_ “Please hold on,” interrupted Samael, stopping the argument brewing between his brothers. “Big brother, have you heard of cloning?” _

_ He had piqued Lucifer’s interest. “What’s that?” _

_ “It’s a technique for creating an identical copy of a living being. It’s still at the proposal stage, but if research is conducted, it could alleviate our concerns regarding our possession bodies. Even if our bodies degrade, obtaining a new one would be simple. Don’t you think there’s value in letting humans, and this world, live? I’ll establish a research facility in absolute secrecy within the Japanese branch which I control. I’ll take away your pain! So, what will you do, big brother?” _

“Through this cajolery, I persuaded Lucifer. Then I established Section 13 with Asylum as its front. I gathered the world’s most prominent cloning researchers and proceeded with the research. Creating the clones was relatively easy. However, after creating them, it was apparent they weren’t identical copies. The development environment was largely different. And more than anything, the souls residing within them were different. No matter how excellent the bodies were, they couldn’t become possession bodies. A new means was required to keep Lucifer calm.”

_ “We shall research elixir,” a man said. “Demons have more powerful cellular regeneration abilities than that of humans. We’ll elucidate that mechanism and develop a drug capable of inducing unlimited regeneration. Our genes harmonize well in addition to being strong and superior. It’s quite possible to adapt the clones of the third-strongest Ba’al. Let’s mass-produce them.” _

“That is to say,” continues Sir Pheles, “we decided to start creating immortal enhanced humans. The elixir experiments went to the extremes of brutality. IV drips were insufficient for administering drugs to adults, so we submerged the clones directly into medicated tanks. It was no longer possible to foster normal personalities under those conditions. Miraculously, Amaimon’s possession body was born normally. But the critically required one for Lucifer was still unsuccessful. The research continued daily. Then, one day, the strongest enhanced human to date was born. However, the one possessing it wasn’t Lucifer. In the beginning, even we didn’t know what it was. It’s fair to say it was somehow Gehenna itself. By the time we confirmed it was a massive conception, it was already too late.”

_ Gehenna itself? Massive conception?  _ “Satan…” I realize. 

“Indeed,” confirms Sir Pheles. “That was the moment the Okumura twins’ father made his appearance in this world. The Blue Night took place because that thing’s ego sprouted. The research facility was destroyed. The majority of those involved died that day. It was like waking up from a dream. All the survivors took a Morinas contract, and Section 13 was literally dismantled and shut down. All the research should have been buried as well. But Lucifer didn’t give up. He took the elixir research in secret and continued working on it. That being said, it’s difficult to imagine him making off with the research on his own. That’s why I believe he has someone working for him in the Order.” 

“Well, that makes sense,” agrees Lightning. “But that traitor is you, isn’t it?” He points at Sir Pheles. 

“When did you start being this rude to me?” Sir Pheles’ eye twitches. 

“You probably handed the research over to keep Lucifer happy,” my master accuses. “And that’s also why you preserved that space you showed us.”

“You’re still doubting me?!”

“Not to mention, the missing Dr. Neuhaus was in that space as well.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Sir Pheles denies. “I wonder how he managed to crawl in.”

“He’s probably helping you with the elixir research.”

“There’s no way that Satan-hater would help with Satan’s revival.”

“Then, what is he doing?”

“I told you I don’t know! Go ask him yourself! Since you’re playing detective, why don’t you stop asking questions and try reasoning?”

“I need lots of information to make deductions. How about we exchange questions? To what extent did the higher-ups know about Section 13? Based on what you’ve said so far, the Grigori definitely knew.”

“Well of course.”

“What about the paladin and arc knights? Does Angel know?”

“Angel came from Asylum and is one of the few survivors of the Blue Night. But he lost all his memories of that incident.”

“Lost his memories…?”

“Yes… I made a Morinas contract just in case, but he doesn’t have any memories from before the Blue Night. The only arc knight involved was Drac Dragulescu.”

“Dr. Dragulescu?! But his name wasn’t in the Japanese retiree register.”

“Actually, I think he died under the alias ‘Nikolai Eminescu’. At any rate, he was a central figure for the elixir research at the time.” Sir Pheles chuckles. “After hearing that, you think he’s a suspicious person, right? However, he’s naturally under a Morinas contract as well. There’s no way to deactivate the contract, and it would be quite difficult to help the Illuminati without doing so.” Far away, I hear a  _ gong! _ of a clock, signaling the beginning of an hour. “Oh,” says Sir Pheles in mild surprise. “It’s midnight. Time’s up! Playtime is over. Now study all the data you’ve gathered and reveal who the traitor is. Okay, detective?”

Lightning smirks. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

“Belial, bring their clothes!”

When we’re finally dressed, we run one more errand — at the Vatican. We run into the arc knight and former acting paladin, Arthur August Angel (I recognize him, in rage, as the guy who held a sword to Rin’s neck when we found out what she is), who is surprised to find that Lightning doesn’t stink for once and, once he finds out that I’m Lightning’s apprentice, congratulates me on getting him clean even though it wasn’t my doing. Lightning then subtly tests Angel to confirm that he really doesn’t remember anything about Section 13, and it becomes apparent that he truly doesn’t have any memory of it. 

We continue on to visit Azazel, the King of Spirits, who is somehow residing within Vatican headquarters. He, along with emperors called the ‘Sol,’ refused to seek new bodies when they were originally incarcerated. Shemihaza, the Emperor of Creation, and Armumahel, the Emperor of Nothingness, were the Sol. When I first see Azazel, he’s not what I expect to see, even after Lightning’s warning. I see a tall structure, made of a substance I can’t name, and near the top of it is a cave-like indent with a figure inside of it. My master goes up alone to talk to it/him, while I wait below.

  
  


Rin POV

I yawn as I catch up to my cram school friends. “Good morning,” I manage to say through my gaping wide mouth. 

A chorus of ‘good morning’ is echoed back at me from Ryuuji, Izumo, and Renzo. “Good morning, Rin,” Koneko greets me. “Did you finish studying?”

“Yeah,” I yawn at him. “After the funeral, I had an annoying brother on my case for half the night. ‘These are all wrong, Rin!’ ‘Don’t you ever do your homework?’ ‘Do it again!’ Jeez, Yukio’s the worst. On the other hand, though, we  _ did  _ have quite the pillow fight. I’m surprised that Yukio still had that in him, to be honest. He’s become such a stiff since the good old days when we were kids.”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about studying soon,” Renzo reminds me optimistically, “because once these tests are over, it’ll be winter break!”

“Oh, yeah… speaking of which, what’s everyone doing for winter break?” I ask as Shiemi joins our group. 

“I’m not going home,” boasts Renzo happily. 

“I’m busy too,” admits Ryuuji, distracted. His master must have him working pretty hard. “Almost forgot, I should tell my parents I’m not coming.” He pulls out his phone. 

“If Bon and Shima aren’t going home, I think I’ll stay too,” decides Konekomaru.

“If everyone’s staying, why don’t we all study for the certification exam?” Izumo suggests. 

“Good idea!” Konekomaru agrees. 

“Ehhh?! If we’re getting together, why not have a Christmas party instead?” Renzo whines. 

_ Christmas… Oh, yeah,  _ that  _ is getting pretty close too…  _ “Speaking of Christmas, that’s my and Yukio’s birthday,” I tell the others. 

“Eh?! You were born on Christmas?! Isn’t that ironic?!” Renzo exclaims, staring at me and gaping. 

“It’s actually the 27th, but we usually combine it with Christmas and celebrate both together.” That’s how we always did it at the monastery.  _ Would Dad be alright if we didn’t come back for Christmas and our birthday this year? _

“Oh, yeah, that happens. I completely forgot about mine this year and didn’t get to celebrate,” sniffs Renzo, wiping a tear from his eye. 

“Oh, mine passed too,” recalls Ryuuji nonchalantly. “August 20th.”

“Mine was when we were in Shimane,” says Izumo. “October 11th. It feels like they all slipped by during all the commotion.”

“So let’s throw a combined Christmas and birthday party!” Renzo suggests.

“What is that?” Shiemi asks. 

“That sounds ridiculous,” says Ryuuji. 

“How much are you planning to celebrate?” Izumo wonders. 

“What a synchronized rejection! You bookworms! Don’t you wanna enjoy your school life more?!” Renzo is really bent on this. 

“Shiemi!” I hear my brother’s voice call as he approaches us. 

“Good morning, Yukio!” Konekomaru greets him. 

“Good morning,” Yukio replies. But he’s only interested in talking to Shiemi. “Is it true you’re not taking the exorcist certification exam?” he asks her. “Sorry, Dad mentioned it this morning,” he confesses. 

_ Not taking the exam?!  _ “Eh?”

“Huh?!”

“I heard you submitted a blank form this morning,” continues Yukio. 

“Yes!” Shiemi confirms cheerfully. “I no longer want to become an exorcist. I’ve decided to inherit the exorcist shop after all. So, I’m planning to drop out of cram school around the time of the certification exam. Oh, but I’ll still go to school like usual!”

“Wha…”  _ I can’t believe what she’s saying! She’s going to drop out of cram school to inherit the exorcist shop? _ “But before, you—”

“Don’t screw around!” Izumo explodes, interrupting me. “It’s just your mom that’s against it, right?! Don’t let her discourage you!”

“Izumo…” Shiemi tries to protest. 

“You really can’t do anything on your own, huh? I’ll explain to your mom for you! Geez, I can’t believe I had to fall in love with such a weakling. Today, after cram school, I’ll…”

“Thank you,” interrupts Shiemi politely, bowing slightly. “But I’ve decided.”

The shock on Izumo’s face mirrors that on mine. “But… that’s…”

“Rin,” continues Shiemi, addressing me. “Sorry for breaking our promise.”

She means our promise to become exorcists. I shake my head. “No. It’s not important. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m quitting cram school, but I’ll still be going to school like I have until now!” Shiemi declares. “But, that aside, I agree with Shima’s idea! When break starts, let’s have a birthday party with everyone! And celebrating Christmas at the same time will be fun!” My jaw drops.  _ She wants to do  _ what _?! _ “We’ve been studying hard, so we need a day off!”

“It’s just one day, so…” ponders Ryuuji, not disagreeing with her idea. 

“Sometimes a break can improve concentration!” Konekomaru reasons. 

_ Well, if that’s how they feel…  _ “Count me in,” I say. 

“Well, if you’re set on it,” shrugs Izumo, “I’ll support you, babe.”

“When I suggested it, everyone shot me down!” Renzo whines. But then he cheers, and holds out a fistbump. “Yahoo! Thanks, Moriyama!”

“Y-yahoo!” Shiemi cheers with him, touching her fist against his. 

“It’s a good idea,” my brother agrees. “You students should relax more. Have some fun.”

_ Excuse me?  _ Who _ needs to relax more, Mr. Uptight?  _ “No!” Shiemi shouts in protest. “You have to come too, Yuki! I insist!”

The blank, shocked look on Yukio’s face is priceless. “Uh… Alright, I’ll go,” he agrees reluctantly.

“I wonder what’s up with Shiemi,” I think aloud to Koneko, Izumo, Ryuuji, and Yukio as we walk together after school. “I’ve never seen her be so forceful with you, bro.”

“I know,” agrees Yukio. “I’ve never seen her like that either.”

“But she seems cheerful,” argues Konekomaru, “so that’s a good change.”

Suddenly, a horrible thought occurs to me. “Hey…” I begin slowly. “It’s just a weird feeling I’ve got, but she’s not…  _ dying _ , is she?” Everyone falls silent, and they all stare at me. I stare back at them. “Say something!”

“About that,” answers Izumo, her eyes wide, “I’ve wondered the same thing.”

“Huh? You have?”

“It occurred to me too,” admits Ryuuji. “It was just a passing thought.”

“But I’m serious about it!” Izumo exclaims. “I mean, isn’t it strange?! She was intent on becoming an exorcist, and worried that her mother wouldn’t allow it! The look in her eyes said she wouldn’t budge! She’s dead set on this! What could happen in just  _ one day _ to change her like that?!”

“Calm down, everyone,” sighs Yukio in exasperation. “You’re being unreasonable. What could she possibly die from?”

“Y-yeah!” I stammer, nervously laughing it off. “Death has to have a specific cause! Right!”

“Hey, guys!” Shiemi calls from the table that she’s sharing with Renzo and Nori, waving at us. “I’m over here!” 

The five of us join the three of them at their table. “Shima and Nori have been helping me!” Shiemi says brightly. “We decided on teams for buying party goods! And we divided up the money! Rin and Miwa, you handle the food!”

“Got it!” Konekomaru says. 

“You can count on us!” I grin. At least she’s putting the right people in charge of the cooking and food shopping. 

“Suguro and Yuki, you handle the decorations!” Neither of them look happy or upset with that decision, each sporting expressions of indifference. “Izumo and Shima, you handle the cake! And I’ll get a tree!”

“There’s gonna be a  _ tree _ ?!”

“I’ll also prepare the location! I was in a hurry, but I made flyers!” Shiemi passes them around the table. “They have all the necessary info!”

I look down at mine. It reads:

_ Date: December 24 _

_ Time: 17:00 _

_ Place: Cafeteria, Old Boys’ Dorm _

_ What to bring: A present to exchange (¥1000 or under) _

_ If you want to, dress festively! _

“Why’re you so intent on this?” I ask. 

“Huh? Sorry. I just like stuff like this!”

“Shiemi also organized the haunted house for the school festival!” Nori tells us rather proudly. 

“Huh…” I mutter. _If Shiemi doesn’t want to say anything yet, that’s fine. She’s probably just not ready yet, so I won’t push her._


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In preparation for the party, the kids go shopping. Rin teaches someone a lesson, Yukio asks Ryuuji for his opinion and has a few flashbacks, and Ryuuji learns something shocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! As promised, here is the second chapter of the day. Happy holidays, and I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know with kudos or comments what you think.

Rin POV

“What do you think we should get?” I ask Koneko. “Fried chicken and sushi?” The market isn’t far from campus, so we just walked. 

“Yes, that should be fine,” agrees Konekomaru. 

As we collect our ingredients, though, I can feel the strange stares of others, and it’s not until a boy about my age approaches us with a glint in his eye that I understand. 

“Hello, gorgeous,” he greets me, grinning in a way I don’t like. 

“Hello,” I greet him as politely as I can. He’s really not an attractive guy. 

“What can I call  _ you _ , hot stuff?”

“Taken. Please leave me alone.” I show him my most disgusted expression. 

“Oh, don’t be like that, babe. What do you say to spending some time with me, instead of this little four-eyed baldy? Anywhere you want to go.”

“How about we go to your funeral? I’ll make  _ all _ the arrangements,” I offer, glaring at him. “Every. Single. One.”

“Rin,  _ please _ ,” Konekomaru begs me. “Try not to kill him here, okay?”

I sigh. “You’re right, Neko.” I rub his head affectionately. “Come on, let’s just finish our shopping.”

As we turn to go, Konekomaru pushing the cart, the pest sputters in protest. “W-wait! You’re just going to stay with that shrimp?! Why would you choose a kid like that over a man like me? You’re too hot for him! I could show you a good time, too!” He’s suddenly right behind me. His arms snake around my waist. 

My reaction is immediate. I spin around, grabbing one of his hands in both of mine, and, twisting it around, bend his hand forward, toward the inside of his wrist. He goes down immediately, eyes wide with shock and pain. “Don’t touch me,” I hiss, pressing down on the top of his hand, “or any other girl without consent unless you want to lose that precious hand of yours. You made a big mistake, you creep. I may have a brother and a boyfriend, but  _ I’m _ the one you should be scared of.”

“Who…  _ are _ you?” His eyes raise up so he can see my face. 

In response, I grin sadistically. “Your worst nightmare.”  _ Okay, that line was over-the-top cheesy and cliche, _ I admit to myself.  _ But it worked.  _

I drop his hand and leave him shaking and cowering on the floor. But as soon as I do, an older woman comes dashing toward us. She stops in front of the guy on the ground. “You idiot!” she snaps at him. “What did you do?!” She turns and bows to me in apology. “I’m sorry if my son harassed you in any way, my dear. He has a weakness for beautiful girls like you.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine,” I promise. “He did bother me, but that was his mistake. I’m glad to be the one who taught him a lesson about consent. Suffice to say, I don’t think he’ll be so thoughtless in the future.”

Pulling her son up by the ear, the woman thanks me and lets me continue my shopping with Konekomaru. 

“You know, Rin,” says Konekomaru cautiously once the woman is out of earshot, “you’re pretty scary when you’re angry.”

“Well, I hope so,” I laugh. “I probably terrified that jerk so badly that he won’t touch another girl again. I’m supposed to be a scary demon, you know. Satan _does_ happen to be my father, after all.”

  
  


Yukio POV

“The cram school has markers and other supplies,” I tell Suguro as we approach the crafts store. 

“So we just need a shikishi message board and colored paper,” he reasons. 

“And we can buy ornaments at the 100 yen shop!”

“Good idea!”

We enter the store, but despite our discussion about what to buy, being alone with him is awkward for me. There’s a part of me that can’t help being jealous of his relationship with Rin, both as her friend and boyfriend. At least  _ he _ didn’t shoot her. And at least  _ he _ didn’t fall for a traitor. 

“Listen, Suguro,” I begin as he picks out colored construction paper. “Can I ask you something?” He raises his eyebrow, but nods. I continue. “What do you think Rin thinks of me?” I still can’t get over what I did to her in Aomori, I feel terrible for keeping my training (suicide attempts) secret from her until we went on the mission to get Shura back, and I barely see her anymore now that I’m no longer her cram school teacher.

His blank expression tells me all I need to know about his confusion. “Huh? What, do you think Rin doesn’t love you anymore or something?”

“Well,” I clarify, “I’m not exactly the best brother I can be right now, am I?”

The look on his face is enough to tell me that he thinks I’ve said something incredibly stupid. Actually, I probably did. “You’re… actually kidding, right? Dude, this is how siblings are  _ supposed  _ to be. I’ve seen it time and time again with the Shimas. You get on each other’s nerves, you fight, you give each other a hard time. But at the end of the day, you’re still family, and you still love each other. There’s no way Rin would stop loving her own brother. You even shot her, and she forgave you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“I know,” I admit, “but I just want to protect her, and I’m doing an awful job of that. Honestly, you could probably do a better job of that than I am.”

“Yukio, even without either of us, Rin doesn’t need protecting. She’s strong, and getting more skilled with her flames every day. And, who knows? One day she may actually be able to defeat Satan.”

He has a point. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re probably right,” I admit reluctantly.

The trip into the 100 yen shop goes much smoother. “These are cheap!” Suguro exclaims as he kneels down near some decorations. “We definitely gotta buy some!”

“I don’t know much about these things,” I tell him honestly. “I’ll let you choose.” Rin and I haven’t really had much experience growing up with decorating for parties. The only time we ever celebrated was for Christmas/our birthday. 

“Yukio, if you want,” offers Suguro, turning a little on the balls of his feet to face me, “I can handle this on my own. Besides, you’re injured.”

“No, I can move my hand. I can help, since I’m not as busy anymore.” My arm might be broken, but my hand isn’t.  _ Come to think of it… _ “Actually, you’ve been kinda busy lately, haven’t you?” He spends most of his time, I understand, working for Lightning. 

“Anyway, I’ll have to ask for Master’s permission,” he says, turning back to the decorations. 

Just now, I remember something from the night of the funeral. 

_ “I shouldn’t have let him in!” Father Fujimoto complained regretfully as Rin and I listened at the door.  _

_ “Saying that now won’t change anything,” reasoned Kyodo. “Misumi was prepared. There’s nothing we could have done. And besides, it was Lightning the Arc Knight we’re talking about. You can’t just tell him no.” _

_ “True, but I’m still the paladin,” argued Father, “so I outrank him.” _

_ Rin and I exchanged a look of confusion. Lightning was here? Why? Did he have something to do with Misumi’s death? I wanted to listen more, but they were done talking. Rin pointed down the hall.  _ Keep walking, _ she mouthed to me. We didn’t want to get caught, after all, since we were kind of partners in crime in our eavesdropping. So we headed to my old room.  _

The memory reminds me to ask about that day.  _ Was Suguro there? _

“I hear Lightning has been dragging you around. That must be hard,” I prompt. If Lightning was at the monastery yesterday, Suguro probably was too. 

“No, it’s alright. I choose to follow him around.”

It’s clear he’s not going to give me a clear answer about his whereabouts yesterday.  _ Oh well. It doesn’t really matter, whether or not he was actually involved in Misumi’s death. Regardless, we had to have a funeral for him last night. And that gave me the opportunity to talk to Father properly.  _

I think back to the conversation I had with my father, after my pillow fight with Rin. She’d urged me to talk to him, and that’s what I did. 

_ “Hey, Father?” I began, entering his study.  _

_ “Yukio,” he greeted me. “Mind telling me why you and your sister were fighting? You didn’t have an argument, did you?”  _

_ I groaned.  _ Of course he would think of that first. _ “No, Father,” I promised. “We didn’t have an argument. The pillow fight… just sorta happened. It was a stress-relieving break from studying. But that isn’t why I’m here.” _

_ Father raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then what  _ is _ it that brings you here?” _

_ “I…” I began nervously. Then I took a deep breath, steeling my nerves. “I need to talk to you about something, and perhaps you can help.” _

_ “Uh oh. This sounds serious,” commented Father. _

_ Ignoring him, I continued. “We know for certain that Rin inherited Satan’s flames. She is half demon, and as such she is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, I am her twin brother. I, too, am a child of Satan, even though I am, as far as I know, fully human.” _

_ “I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at here, Yukio,” Father confessed, confused. “What are you worried about? What’s the problem? We already know you’re human.” _

_ “The problem is exactly that: I’m human, so I could not have possibly inherited Satan’s powers,” I answered. “And yet, for some reason, the same blue flames that my sister controls have manifested themselves in my eyes and protect me whenever my life is in danger. I figured out the extent of this thanks to my own experimentation. Why, in your opinion, could that be, Father?” _

_ “I…” Father seemed at a loss for words. For once, I had presented him with a question even he couldn’t answer. “I don’t know, Yukio,” he finally said. “Not for sure, at least. I have a theory, but I can’t talk about it.” _

_ For some reason, his words enraged me. “What do you mean, you can’t talk about it?” I demanded. _

_ Father sighed in exasperation. “I mean that it is highly classified information. But it’s not an if-I-tell-you-I’d-have-to-kill-you kinda deal. Do you understand? It’s more of a find-someone-who-wasn’t-involved thing.” _

_ “Involved? Involved in what?” _

_ “Geez, boy!” Father groaned. “You’re supposed to be smart. I mean the circumstances of your, and by extension Rin’s, birth. A lot of things happened that night that can’t be spoken of by those of us who know the truth. I want to help you, son, I really do, but I can’t. You’re going to have to figure this out on your own, Yukio.” _

_ He reached up to rustle my hair, then frowned. “What is it now?” I asked, irritated that he still thought of me as young enough to have my hair rustled. _

_ “When did you get so tall?” Father asked. “You shot right past me in these past several months, and I’m not exactly a small man.” _

Father is certainly tall, _ I thought,  _ but I have somehow surpassed him. After all, I have become a quite a lanky teenager in the past nine months, even with a convenience-store diet that Rin would kill me over if she found out about.  _ I sighed. “I’m still growing, Father,” I told him. “That’s more than I can say for Rin, since by now I’m 95% positive she’s immortal. I mean, have you seen her compared to the photos we took at the end of middle school? She hasn’t changed a bit.” _

_ “Be that as it may,” argued Father, “you’re still turning into a giant. How tall are you now?” _

_ “I don’t know. But that hardly matters right now. You’re saying I should figure out my eyes on my own?” I asked, getting back to the topic at hand. _

_ “Yes,” agreed Father. “If I were you, I’d do my own research on the matter. Run tests on yourself. Ask someone who is researching the Blue Night about the fruits of their labor.” _

_ “Someone researching the Blue Night…” I pondered. “But who…” My eyes went wide as I realized. “Lightning and Suguro!” _

_ Father nodded. “Bingo. I doubt they’d give you anything since it’s such a sensitive topic, but it’s always worth a shot. By the way, Yukio, you mentioned earlier that you’d already done some experimentation on your own. What kind was it?” _

_ This was a topic I was afraid of. But I had to tell him the truth about what I’d been doing. “I tested my limits… by attempting suicide,” I confess. “Drowning myself by summoning naiads didn’t work, so my first and last successful attempt, something I couldn’t control, was dropping myself off the roof of a building. This yielded valuable data, so I don’t intend to do any of that dangerous training again.” _

_ Dad’s jaw dropped. “Does… Does your sister know about this?” _

_ “I told Rin about the nature of my experiments. I did not go into specifics,” I admitted. “I didn’t actually want to die. You know how protective she is of me, she’d have been furious to learn exactly what I was doing.” _

_ “You’re right about that, Yukio,” Father chuckled. “Now go to bed, boy. You have school tomorrow, I think. Tell Rin good night for me, too.” _

_ “Yes, Father,” I answered, ever the dutiful son. “Thank you for your advice.” With that, I left his office. But his words had left me with more questions than answers.  _ What does the Blue Night have to do with our birth? Why can’t Father talk about it? How is it connected to what is going on with my eyes?  _ These questions and more plagued me as I made my way down the hall to my room, where Rin was waiting for me. They would have to be answered another time. _

  
  


Ryuuji POV

I sigh, sitting on the floor of my master’s living quarters.  _ The truth is, I don’t have time for a Christmas party. I have to organize these documents from Section 13.  _ Said documents are spread out on the floor in front of me, taking up almost all the space.  _ And Lightning has just been sleeping! _ He’s under a blanket on the couch behind me. 

“Maybe I can divide them into categories,” I mutter, “like clone research, elixir development, human strengthening, and other.” I’m looking through the list of names in the volume that contains information about the clones of Azazel when something catches my eye. Number 004, the clone called ‘Shiro.’ Hang on. “Shiro?”  _ Shiro… that name…  _ I flip to the page, and gasp when I see the photo of the clone.  _ Shiro Fujimoto?! There’s no way I don’t recognize the face of the paladin when he’s both my teacher and the man who adopted my girlfriend! He looks young, but there’s no mistake! Shiro Fujimoto was a  _ clone _ of Azazel?!  _ “What the heck…?” My eyes flicker to the next page, and that’s when I notice something even stranger. On the list, 004 was Shiro, 005 was Goro, and 006 was Rokuro.  _ So, by all logic, the next page should have information on Goro, right? But… The pages skip from 004 to 006. Where is 005?  _ I flip through the binder, but there’s nothing.  _ It’s not here! I can’t find the experimental record for Goro anywhere! None of the other records are missing, so what does this mean?! _

The answer occurs to me just as my master shifts and wakes up. “What’re you doing…?” he asks sleepily. 

“Lightning!”  _ He’s finally awake! _ I hold up the list of clones. “I think 005 is Satan! But someone took that page!”

“Oh?” he asks as I hand him the binder so he can look at it. “And Shiro Fujimoto is a clone of Azazel! So if the Okumura twins have blood ties to the nephilim—”

“Ryuuji,” my master interrupts me, “you should rest.”

“Huh?” What’s he talking about?

“I’ll handle it from here.” He turns away from me to go back to sleep. 

“Hey, wait!” I protest. “Ever since we got back from Azazel, you’ve done nothing but sleep and eat and sleep some more!” I snatch his blanket off of him, exposing him to the air. “Do some investigating! Anyway, what exactly  _ is  _ this world? And what is Gehenna? And who is Satan?! This is so huge I can’t keep up!”

“I’d like to know the answers myself,” admits Lightning. “But first we have to find the Illuminati’s hideout. And we can’t trust Mephisto. When my thoughts meet an impasse, I try to sleep. So that’s what I’m doing.”

So if he has no clue about what to do yet… well, I might as well ask. “My classmates are having a Christmas party tomorrow after the closing ceremony,” I tell him. “Can I go?”

“Sounds fun. Go ahead! But it’s not like you have to follow all my orders anyway.”

“Huh?”

“You gotta slack off sometimes. If you tackle this mess head-on, you’ll go nuts.”

_ He has a point.  _ “Understood. I’ll take a breather,” I promise as I place his blanket over him again. 

“Nighty-night!”

  
  


Yukio’s POV

When midterms are over, Rin and Shima actually let out a cheer because they were both sick of school. Sometimes, I feel like Shima is more like Rin’s twin than I am, simply based on how they act. But I, too, have things in common with Shima. For example, we both harbor a dark interior which may be breached at any moment. He works for the Illuminati, and I… well, I’m having a satanic identity crisis that no one but my family knows about and no one including my family can help me with.

We head over to the dorm as a group to prepare for the party. Shiemi actually did provide a tree, which is growing out of her familiar’s stomach. Nii is laying on the ground so that the tree is rightside up. The rest of us need to prepare too, and that means Suguro and I have to do the decorations. 

After we’ve worked silently for awhile, I look over at my partner’s work. “You’re good at this, Suguro,” I comment. 

“Yeah, I’m good with my hands,” he replies, though not arrogantly.  _ But I bet Rin could confirm that. _ “How about you, Yukio?”

I hold up my work, and his jaw drops at how terrible it is. “B-because of your arm?!” he stammers. 

“No, but when it comes to crafts, I’m totally hopeless,” I admit. I hold up one of the paper stars I made, staring at it with an unbidden nostalgic smile on my face. “This brings back memories. I made these when I was a kid. In this season, the monastery was busy with local events. Rin and I weren’t good at crafts, so our decorations looked awful.” I remember myself and my sister, years ago, sitting side by side at the kitchen table in our monastery, with wads of ruined paper in front of us that we called ‘decorations’. “But Father put them up anyway. He always said, ‘Quantity before quality!’ So we never got any better.” I look up to see the watery look in Suguro’s eyes. “What’s the matter?”

He looks away. “Um, I just thought… it’s a nice story. Shall we put this one up too?” He holds up one of the ones I did. 

“No, I don’t think so!” I laugh lightly. But then my brain chooses now to send me a memory of a long time ago. 

_ “Father!” I said. “Where are our real parents? What were they like?” Rin and I were sitting at one end of the kitchen table, with our father at the other end. Food was spread out all over the table, some of it consolidated on plates in front of me and my twin.  _

_ “You really wanna know?” Father asked, as if we didn’t want to.  _

_ “Yeah!” I shouted. I could feel Rin’s eyes on me. She didn’t say anything, though, because her mouth was full and she had better manners than most people thought she did.  _

_ “Well then, I guess the time has come,” said Father. “I found you under a bridge on the cold morning of December 27, so I don’t know your parents!” But even as young as I was, I could tell he was lying through his teeth. “Anyway, I found you, so don’t sweat it! After dinner, brush your teeth and go to bed. And don’t expect Santa to visit.” He got up to leave.  _

_ Tears started welling up in my eyes. I was still such a crybaby back then. “I’m sure you know!” I protested. “Why won’t you tell us?” _

_ “He says he doesn’t know, so he doesn’t know,” said Rin.  _

_ “Huh?” _

_ “And I don’t  _ want  _ to know.” She lifted another bite of food to her mouth, ending the discussion.  _

_ “Why not?!” She didn’t answer.  _

Back in present time, my eyes flicker to the kitchen, where Rin is.  _ Why doesn’t my sister want to know? But I want to know.  _


	53. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids have their party, Shura tells a story, and the twins have a late-night conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! Sorry if I’m posting this a little (read as a lot) later in the day, but it’s still Monday (where I am, at least), so I hope you can forgive me and enjoy this last post of the year, even if it is a bit shorter than some of my other chapters. See you all in 2021!

Rin POV

“ _ Hey, what’re you making? _ ” Kuro asks me inside my head, wandering into the kitchen where Konekomaru and Renzo are helping me with the cooking. 

“Hey, there, Kuro! We’re making a feast!” I reply, grinning and happily swishing my tail around a little bit. 

“ _ A feast?! _ ”

“Yep! We’ve got fried chicken and sushi and all sorts of stuff!” 

“ _ Yaay! I love fried chicken! _ ” Kuro cheers.

“You’re good with a cooking knife, Konekomaru!” I praise my most helpful assistant. He’s doing a great job. 

“Well, Bon and I had to help cook a lot,” he says, grinning bashfully. “But Shima just slacked off.”

“I’m a pro mixer, though!” Renzo grins, showing off his skills. 

After more crafts, cooking, and decorating, the party is ready to start. But we all take a moment to admire our handiwork. The place looks beautifully festive. Then we all split up to change out of our school clothes. 

But when I come downstairs, dressed and ready to go, Yukio just stares at me blankly. “Why are you wearing  _ that _ ?” he finally asks in exasperation. I’m wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, but I’m guessing he’s talking about the reindeer headband resting on top of my hair. 

“Well, I figured you weren’t going to change, and this cost 30 yen near the station, so I got a few! I figure we could be a pair!” I hold out the bag they came in, and he takes one out. “It’s perfect for you! I even went to the pet store and got a kitty one for Kuro!” As if on cue, Kuro strides in and jumps onto my shoulders, showing off his new reindeer headgear. 

“How is it perfect for me?! And don’t waste money like that!” Yukio snaps.

“Oh, don’t be so sour,” I scold him. “Just put it on.”

My brother just sighs, relenting as he secures his reindeer headband on his head. 

The first guest to arrive is someone dressed as Santa. “Looks like I got here first!” she comments, looking around.

_ I recognize that voice.  _ “Shiemi?!”  _ I hardly recognize her! _ She’s decked out in a full-on Santa costume, complete with a beard, a pillow stuffed up the front of her shirt, and a bag of presents. 

“Hi, Rin!” Shiemi greets me cheerfully. “I love your antlers!” 

“Thanks! Your costume is awesome too!” I tell her, genuinely loving the Santa getup. 

She goes to get Nii some water, but that’s when disaster strikes. Nii had fallen asleep, and before any of us knows what is happening, he rolls over, the tree knocking into all the decorations and landing with a crash onto the table full of food. It bursts into flames, and fortunately that’s when everyone else chooses to make an appearance and help put out the fire in all the chaos. 

Then, as Shiemi stares at the disaster in utter mortification, the rest of us burst into peals of laughter.  _ Nii is a living creature. Therefore, it’s only natural that he would roll over in his sleep. _

Eventually, the cleanup begins. Everyone is wearing the reindeer antlers I got them, except for Konekomaru, who is wearing a full-on reindeer onesie costume (and looks absolutely adorable), and Shiemi, who is dressed as Santa. While everyone else picks up the decorations, I consider what food could be salvaged. Not everything was destroyed, and some of it could be washed off and made into a stew. When I mention this to Kuro, he suggests a hot pot party. 

I translate this to everyone else, they all agree, and the prep for that goes by quickly. I even have Yukio and Ryuuji go get my new kotatsu table and futon while I cook. 

We raise our glasses in a toast. “Happy merry Christmas birthday to us!” we all toast in unison. The hot pot is placed in the middle of the kotatsu, and all of us are seated around it, in the following clockwise order: Izumo, Konekomaru, me, Ryuuji, Shiemi, Renzo, and Yukio. Kuro is in no particular spot, circling the table as much as he can to find the best place to snag something from anyone who feels like showing him pity. 

The party is a huge hit. So huge, in fact, that even more guests appear. First Mephisto (to my disappointment), then Takara (to everyone’s surprise), then Shura (to Renzo’s delight), and finally Lightning (to Ryuuji’s embarrassment). 

We exchange gifts. I got Ryuuji a new pair of earrings and Yukio a few volumes of his favorite manga. Renzo got matching sweatshirts for me and Yukio that read ‘Satan’s Spawn’ in big letters on the front and ‘older’ and ‘younger’ on the backs of our respective shirts (which even Yukio finds mildly amusing), and gave Konekomaru a cat-ear headband. Shiemi brought everyone a potted plant from her house. Izumo got a kiddie spy kit for Renzo as a joke and a flowery hairtie for Shiemi. Gifts from Yukio consisted of a foreign cookbook for me and a scarf for Renzo (do I detect favoritism?). Konekomaru only got joke gifts for everyone, including a headband with red plastic devil horns on it for me (which I put on immediately in front of my reindeer antlers), a pair of disguise glasses for Renzo (complete with the fake nose and mustache), a rubber chicken for Ryuuji (in honor of his previously dyed hair), and a pair of water pistols for Yukio.

Eventually, the adults have taken over the kotatsu while the other students (not including Takara and Yukio) and I sit on the floor with a card game. My most formidable opponent at the moment is Izumo. 

Not long into our game, Renzo gets a call from his brother Juuzo. He answers it on speakerphone for everyone to hear. 

“Hello? Juuzo?” Renzo greets him. 

“Hey, Juuzo!” Ryuuji contributes. 

“Juuzo!” Konekomaru calls. 

“Renzo! It’s been awhile!” Juuzo greets his brother. “Are you and Bon and Neko coming back for New Years?”

“What’s this about?” Renzo asks. 

“I have news! Mamushi and I are gonna have a baby!” Juuzo announces proudly. 

Immediately, the Kyoto trio all start talking at once. “Seriously?!”

“That was fast!”

“Huh?!”

“We’re already officially married,” Juuzo informs them, “but the family is going to gather for a ceremony at Toraya!”

“Congratulations, Juuzo!”

“Thanks! Mamushi’s here too. I’ll put her on.”

After a second, her voice comes through the phone. “Hello, Ryuuji,” she says into the phone on her end. 

“Mamushi!”

“I’d like you and Koneko to attend the ceremony too. Can you come back?”

Before Ryuuji can decline, Lightning gives his apprentice his permission, and then we all decide to go. 

After everyone has left, and Shiemi has given us all four-leaf clover charms (and told us she’s not dying or going away, but will provide herbs and things from her shop, but can’t tell us the reason), I’m in the kitchen with Yukio, almost done cleaning up. Kuro is asleep on the table. 

“Tonight was fun, huh?” I ask. 

“Yeah,” my brother replies. 

“Hey,” a new voice pipes up. I flinch in surprise, and look over at the door where the voice came from. It’s Shura. “I drank too much, so gimme a glass of water.”

“Shura? It’s late! Shouldn’t you go home?” I ask as I get a glass from the cupboard and begin filling it with water. 

“But I  _ live  _ here. I’ve got a second floor room.”

“You do?!”  _ How come no one told me?! _

“You didn’t know?” Yukio asks me. 

“No, I didn’t!” I hand Shura her water. 

“Look, um…” says Shura. “I want to tell you two something.” At our identical expressions of confusion, she continues. “I met your mother once. Her name was Yuri Egin.”  _ She met our mother? _

“Really?!” Yukio nearly shouts as he jumps up, excited. “How do you know her?! Why didn’t you tell us?!” He’s always wanted to know about our parents, but I’ve never really cared. I never understood what difference it would make knowing about them. Of course, I guess knowing that Satan is our father is a pretty big deal, but knowing doesn’t really make a difference in what my (or  _ our _ , depending on what’s going on with Yukio’s eyes) powers are. 

“It’s not a big deal,” shrugs Shura, a little taken aback by his enthusiasm. “I was just a kid! For a long time, I’d always thought that it wasn’t a pleasant memory. But I suppose I can tell you now. So, you wanna hear this?”

“Of course! You met her yourself! So this is important!”

The truth is, I don’t want to hear it. I want to go to bed, since it’s so late. As excited as my brother is, I just don’t care about knowing. But I think it’ll make Yukio happy if I agree. “Okay, fine,” I say, giving Shura my permission to tell me and knowing that I’ll regret it later. 

“It really isn’t anything amazing,” she begins. “Eighteen years ago, Shiro didn’t know how to handle me, so he took me to Yuri.”

_ “Yuri!” Shiro yelled, brandishing a small, child-sized Shura like she was a poisonous snake. “I need to ask you a favor!” _

_ “Oh?” Yuri asked from where she was working. She turned her head toward Shiro and Shura, and smiled. “Sure, I’ll help you!” _

_ “Tch! This brat stinks! Do something! I don’t know how to raise a girl!” _

_ Yuri was covered in a layer of dirt herself from gardening, but Shura was far more filthy. “Oh dear…” said Yuri.  _

_ A few minutes later, the two of them were in the bath, with Shiro waiting outside. “Sorry about this,” Shiro apologized to Yuri.  _

_ “Not at all,” Yuri reassured him genuinely. “I was just going to take a bath anyway. Close your eyes, Shura!” As Yuri rinsed Shura’s hair, she ran her fingers through it softly. “Your red hair is so pretty!” _

_ “Where is she from?” Yuri asked as she picked out clothes for Shura after their bath. “This looks too big…” _

_ “I found her during a mission,” said Shiro. “Mephisto said she’s my responsibility until some orphanage can take her in. Geez! This isn’t funny!” _

_ But the sound he mistook for laughter was Shura’s stomach rumbling from hunger. So Yuri cooked some food, and as soon as it was on the table, Shura started snarfing it down.  _

_ “Does it taste good?” Yuri asked hopefully, with a kind smile on her face. But Shura just huffed and turned away. Yuri laughed a little. _

_ “Yuri,” said Shiro seriously.  _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Will you take care of her for me? You know I can’t. Otherwise, she’ll go to Asylum, and I’d rather—” _

_ “No!” Shura yelled, out of her seat and clutching Shiro’s arm tightly in an instant.  _

_ “Huh?! Let go of me, kid!” _

_ Observing this, Yuri giggled. “She wants to stay with you. She’ll be mad if I split you up.” _

_ “Huh?!” _

_ “Or would you like to live here? You could be like her father, and I could be her mother. Wouldn’t that be nice?” _

_ “No, it would not. Stop joking around, weirdo.” _

_ “Oh, it wouldn’t? I think it would be wonderful.” _

“Your mother was bright and kind and beautiful,” Shura admits. “I knew I could never compare. She had brown hair and lots of moles, just like you, Yukio, and you look almost just like her, Rin, with her face and eyes.”  _ I have her eyes…?  _ “That’s all! End of story!” She looks back at us one last time. “Happy birthday, you two!”

“Are you awake, Rin?” Yukio asks in the middle of the night as we lay in bed. 

“Hm?” I mutter sleepily, my eyes still closed. 

“What do you think about what Shura said?”

“What do you mean? I didn’t even know our mother’s name. I’m glad to know that she actually existed.” I mean, of course she  _ existed _ , or we wouldn’t be here. But I’m glad to know that she wasn’t just some woman who gave birth to Satan’s kids. She was  _ someone _ , at one point, an actual person with dreams and feelings and a life. A past. A job. A place she could call home. Loved ones. Friends. 

“Rin… don’t you want to know about our birth?” My eyes snap open.  _ Of all the things to ask, it’s about  _ that _?! _ “According to the Knights of the True Cross, she’s the apostate who bore Satan’s children. Most data on her is classified. But I want to know about her. What circumstances surrounded our birth? And why is it all kept secret? But you don’t really care, right?”

“That’s right.” I don’t want to be here right now, so I sit up in bed.  _ I will avoid this conversation if I can. _ “I’m sure it isn’t a nice story. So what good can come of knowing it? On our birthday, we learned that she was pretty and kind, and that’s enough for me.” I get up and walk toward the door in my bare feet. “I’ll be right back. Bathroom.”

“Give me a break! Our  _ birthday _ ?! We don’t even  _ know  _ what day we were  _ born _ !” I stop dead in my tracks.  _ He’s so worked up about this…  _ “You always rush in headlong, so why are you so hesitant about  _ this _ ?! Who’s the wimpy one  _ now _ ?!” He’s never like this with me. Ever.  _ What’s happening to you, Yukio…?  _


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids go back to Kyoto, a sixteen-year reunion takes place with an embarrassing conversation topic, and Rin and Shiemi get separated from everyone for a while at the New Years shrine visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s make this one better than last year. This chapter is a bit shorter than some of my other ones, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. I didn’t really plan for New Years in the story to align with the same time of year I’m posting it, but hey, it’s a lucky coincidence. Hope to see you all next week!

Rin POV

About a week after my little conversation with my brother, we’re all on a train to Kyoto. We’re going to Juuzo and Mamushi’s ceremony, which, in itself, isn’t all that odd, but what  _ is  _ out of place is my and Yukio’s dad. Who was invited by Ryuuji’s dad. And, since they haven’t seen each other in over sixteen years, he decided to accept. I find it strange, though, that the paladin of all people would find time in his busy schedule to take a vacation to go to a ceremony for a couple he doesn’t even know. As far as I know, he’s been working hard with exorcisms, managing the monastery, and trying to convince the Grigori not to execute me. Apparently, ever since he heard about the hearing for Mephisto and the condition set on my survival, he’s been trying to advocate my strategic value in the ongoing war against demons. After all, he knows that I am a powerful weapon, ready to be wielded. All that has to be completed is my training as a soldier, and they can utilize me to defeat Satan (which has been my goal this whole time). I’m their natural ally since I hate Satan just as much as they do, but, according to Dad, ‘the Grigori have their heads so far up their own backsides’ that they don’t see it. 

Strangely enough, time seems to go by very quickly during our travels, because I’m busy listening to my dad become acquainted with my classmates on a more personal level. Whenever we’re in class, he’s professional almost to a fault, but right now he’s acting like he’s everyone’s best friend. It’s kinda embarrassing. 

In what seems like no time, we’re at the station. Then I’m seeing Kyoto Tower. Then, finally, we reach our destination. 

“Mom! I’m home!” Ryuuji calls as we enter his family’s inn. 

“Bon! Welcome back!”

“Ryuuji!” his mother greets him. Then she gasps when she sees him. She seems to be staring at the top of his head. “Yes! Very good, Ryuuji!”  _ Oh, right, _ I remember.  _ His haircut. He looked like a rooster the last time he was here, and she didn’t approve of it. _ She has stepped up in front of him and is rubbing his hair happily. He looks embarrassed. But I think it’s adorable, how he and his mom are getting along right now. 

Finally, Torako greets everyone else and shows us to our rooms. All the rooms are full, since there are two households of relatives here. All my classmates get their own rooms, but I share a room with Kuro and Yukio, which I’m fine with. My dad seems more than fine with it too. 

It turns out that Renzo Shima has a larger family than I originally thought. We see Juuzo and Kinzo first, pounding mochi, then Renzo’s oldest sister Jun (with her husband and two children), then the youngest sister Yumi (who has a huge and adorable crush on Konekomaru), then finally the oldest (living) brother Gozo (the oldest brother died during the Blue Night, leaving Gozo as the next oldest). Jun is a beautiful woman with two adorable little children, and Yumi is a cute little girl who is probably no older than ten or eleven. Gozo, on the other hand, is practically a giant. He towers over even my lanky brother. He has to be at least 200 cm tall. 

I can’t believe how many siblings Renzo has.  _ I’d love to have five siblings! Okay, I know I have, like, at least nine brothers, but I haven’t met them all and I think it’d be great to have a couple of sisters too! _ But Renzo just sighs tiredly. “It’s only been ten minutes and I want to leave,” he complains. 

“Well, I like it!” I tell him brightly. “It’s so lively!” 

“Juuzo!” Yukio calls, getting his attention. “Thank you very much for the invitation.” He bows. 

“Oh! Hey, four-eyes!” Juuzo greets Yukio with a friendly grin on his face. I have to disguise my snort of laughter as a cough. I don’t know anyone else, other than myself, brave enough to call him that. “I hope you can help us out again!”

“Is there anything I can do right now?” my twin asks. 

“Yeah! Can you make rice cakes?”

“Alright,” agrees Yukio. 

“Welcome back, everyone!” I hear a familiar voice call, and I look around to see Ryuuji’s father, already standing next to mine. “Good to see you again, Rin.”  _ They seem to be getting along well.  _

I grin. “Good to see you again too!”

“I’m here too, you know, Dad,” says Ryuuji almost sullenly. He doesn’t like being ignored. 

“Yes, yes, welcome home,” Mr. Suguro greets his son a little flippantly. “Now start helping out!”

We all sit around a table, making oroshi mochi (mochi with grated radish and soy sauce), shaping the mochi into little balls. 

“Yukio!” Konekomaru scolds my brother, who is messily forming the mochi balls in his hands. “You’re one-handed, so don’t push yourself!”

“Konekomaru,” says Ryuuji quietly, “he can use both hands.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Sorry I can’t be more help,” Yukio apologizes. 

As my brother is sent to get bowls from the kitchen, I stare after him silently. Ever since that night… 

_ “Rin… don’t you want to know about our birth?” My eyes snapped open. _ _ “According to the Knights of the True Cross, she’s the apostate who bore Satan’s children. Most data on her is classified. But I want to know about her. What circumstances surrounded our birth? And why is it all kept secret? But you don’t really care, right?” _

_ “That’s right.” I sat up in bed. “I’m sure it isn’t a nice story. So what good can come of knowing it? On our birthday, we learned that she was pretty and kind, and that’s enough for me.” I got up and walked toward the door in my bare feet. “I’ll be right back. Bathroom.” _

_ “Give me a break! Our  _ birthday _?! We don’t even  _ know _ what day we were  _ born _!” I stopped dead in my tracks. _ _ “You always rush in headlong, so why are you so hesitant about  _ this _?! Who’s the wimpy one  _ now _?!”  _

_ I turned around in shock, because he was never like this, especially with me. “Excuse me?!” I was surprised at first at his tone, but then I got annoyed when he called me ‘wimpy.’ “First of all, if you had the slightest clue about what I’ve been through in the last nine months, since you weren’t hardly around, there’s no  _ way _ you’d be calling  _ me  _ a wimp. And second, what’s the point of knowing? Why are you so interested?!” _

_ Our blue eyes stared each other down for a few seconds. Suddenly, Yukio burst into laughter, and loud guffaws filled the room. “Sorry,” apologized Yukio. “I forgot that we can never change the way we think. We’re twins, but we’re completely different!” He started climbing back into bed. “Sorry for being so loud.” He pulled the covers over his head. “Good night, sister. Just forget about this.” _

I watch Yukio return with the bowls.  _ He’s been acting strangely ever since then. He looks normal, but something is… wrong. Something is different.  _ But I have no idea what it is.  _ He’s obviously hiding something, but what? _

Dinner turns out to be simple, just ‘mochi and random tidbits,’ according to Mamushi, but it’s fun and lively and everything is delicious. I only wish I could have helped out more with the cooking, though more because it’s fun to cook, rather than trying to improve the meal. I mean, I  _ could _ have improved the meal if I wanted to, but sometimes it’s just nice to eat someone else’s cooking for a change. Ryuuji leaves to take care of some work, but he’s back within a few minutes. Kinzo gets very drunk, and it turns out he’s somewhat… caring? He warns Mamushi to be careful, since she’s still in the first trimester of her pregnancy and ‘children are a beacon of light,’ according to him. 

My dad and Ryuuji’s also get quite drunk together (Kuro joins them, unsurprisingly), and start talking about something very embarrassing: my and Ryuuji’s union. That is to say, our marriage. And they’re talking about it a little too loudly, I might add. Tatsuma began with saying that he’d be honored to have me as a daughter-in-law, and then Shiro countered that no one would be allowed to steal his little girl from him. Tatsuma tried to reason that no one would be stealing me, just like no one would be stealing Ryuuji away from him if he got married, but then Shiro very forcefully argued that Tatsuma has never had a daughter before and therefore didn’t know what it was like for him. They are now, somehow, in agreement that Ryuuji and I  _ should _ get married sometime in the future, and are making arrangements (by which I mean fantasizing about the wedding). They can’t agree, however, on which one of them should perform the ceremony, and each wants to do it. Tatsuma should do it because Shiro would be the father of the bride and should walk me down the aisle. Shiro should do it because the wedding should be at my home in True Cross, and he’s the abbot of the Southern Cross Monastery. In my opinion, neither of them should do it, because I’m not planning on marrying anyone for a long while, at least until I know I’m not going to be executed.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I stride up to them and kneel down next to Father Fujimoto. “Dad,” I greet him with a borderline dangerous tone. This is his first and only warning. 

Fortunately, even in his drunken state, he understands. He immediately looks guilty when he sees me. “Rin! What… ah… what are you doing here?”

“I want to know how much you’ve had to drink. You can’t go having conversations like this at someone else’s ceremony,” I scold him. 

“Oh… did you hear us?” Tatsuma asks way too innocently. 

“I think the whole room could hear you, and everyone’s deaf compared to me,” I inform him. Suddenly I notice the small black figure lying motionless next to Shiro. “Oh my gosh! Kuro!” I exclaim, scooping him into my arms. He’s unconscious, having drunk himself into oblivion. “Dad, how could you let him drink so much?!” I accuse. “He’s  _ my _ responsibility now, you know! He may be over two hundred years old, but he still needs careful supervision!” I cradle Kuro to my chest. 

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” my dad tries to convince me uselessly, but I glare at him as I stand up. 

“I’m taking him back to my room. Then I’ll be back to carry you back to yours. And I don’t want you talking to Mr. Suguro unless you’re  _ both _ sober. Is that clear?” I scowl at him pointedly. 

Dad swallows hard. “Crystal.”

The new year arrives, and all of us kids go to the shrine to pray. But, of course, something happens. And something  _ always  _ happens. This time, I get separated from the group. It’s fortunate it’s me, because of how jostled around I’m getting. 

“Hey! Don’t push!” I snap at someone who has, either accidentally or intentionally, shoved me.  _ I know the line is long and the crowd is thick, but seriously! These people could at least wait with a little bit of patience! _

“Rin!” I turn toward the familiar voice, shouting over the chatter. 

“Shiemi?” My little blond best friend is struggling to reach me through the crowd. 

“Everyone’s gone! We got separated!”

She looks like she’s about to panic. “Don’t worry!” I hold out one hand so she can take it. “Hold my hand so we don’t get lost again!” While she grabs it, I rummage around with my other in my pocket and purse for my phone. “Uh-oh…” I mutter. I must have forgotten it at the inn. “Well… let’s line up! The others will be there waiting for us, I’m sure!” We’ll catch up to them soon. 

“Yeah! Okay!”

We wait in line in silence for a few minutes, before I decide to strike up a conversation. “So… I can’t believe it’s the new year already,” I begin a little awkwardly. “A lot happened last year.”

“Yep, it sure did!” 

In the past nine months alone, my human adoptive dad was possessed by my demon biological father and went into a coma afterwards, I found out that I’m Satan’s daughter, I joined an exorcist cram school while hiding my identity, my friends found out about said identity and got angry at me for hiding it (and somehow  _ not _ because I’m the offspring of the most powerful and dangerous demon in Gehenna), I learned how to control my flames, Ryuuji confessed and became my boyfriend, Izumo was kidnapped and we found out that Renzo is a spy who also happens to have a crush on my brother, Ryuuji became Lightning’s apprentice, I found out that I’m probably not aging, Izumo and Shiemi started dating, and now here we are.  _ Yep, that pretty much summarizes the past nine months. And here we are, back in Kyoto.  _

“I remember when we were in Kyoto last summer, I thought everyone hated me,” I reminisce. 

“N-no, we didn’t!” Shiemi protests. 

“I know that  _ now _ ,” I tell her. “And I get why you and Ryuuji got mad about how standoffish I was. But you don’t even bother to scold me anymore.”

“Sorry I made you feel the way I did,” she apologizes earnestly. 

“And Yukio’s doing it too…”

“Rin…” says Shiemi slowly, and I look at her, “has something happened?”

“I…” I turn my gaze down slightly, not bearing to look at her. “I don’t know if I understand him anymore. What can I do for him? I don’t know what he’s thinking! Even though he’s my little brother…”

“Ahaaa!” A familiar voice interrupts me. It’s Kinzo. “There they are! Satan and Shiromi! Why’d you wander off? Juuzo’ll  _ kill _ me!”

“Oh, man,” I groan to myself.  _ This moron… can’t he even be bothered to remember names properly?  _ “My name’s not Satan!” I shout at Renzo’s older brother, annoyed. “And her name isn’t Shiromi!”

“Huh? Who  _ are _ you, then?!” Kinzo demands as we reach them. 

“My name is  _ Rin _ ! And this is  _ Shiemi _ !”

“Really?” Kinzo has the gall to look  _ shocked _ that he’s wrong. 

“You are unbelievable,” I huff at Kinzo, just about stomping past him to get to my boyfriend and brother while Shiemi is reunited with her girlfriend. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Ryuuji whispers in my ear, then kisses my cheek. 

“Don’t worry about it,” I whisper back. “I’m half demon, so I can handle myself. And besides, I’ve dealt with bigger and scarier things than the queue to a shrine. Like Yukio, for example. He’s been nice to you while I was gone, right?”

“Yeah, he wasn’t too bad,” Ryuuji reassures me. 

“I  _ heard _ that! And what do you mean, ‘bigger and scarier’?!” Yukio snaps. 

“Don’t deny it, you gangly four-eyed mole-face,” I shrug. 

“I’m not  _ gangly _ !” Yukio protests. 

“Yes you are! Why don’t you tell everyone how tall you are now, huh?” I know exactly how tall he is now. I insisted on measuring him before we left home to come here (to which he complained endlessly), because he’s grown quite a lot in the past nine months. 

His cheeks turn a bit pink as he mutters what his height is. But it was loud enough for everyone to hear him, and I smirk as the reactions unfold. 

“Wait, you’re  _ how _ tall?!” Kinzo says loudly. 

“Woah, seriously?!” Shiemi gasps. 

“Man, Yukio, you really  _ are _ a giant!” Izumo exclaims. 

“Since when are you _195_ _centimeters tall_?!” Renzo demands in jealousy. 

“I don’t know!” Yukio shouts defensively. “Rin wanted to measure me before we came here, since she noticed how much I was growing lately, and…” He trails off. 

“Wow, Rin’s like a mom even to her own brother!” Renzo snickers. 

I laugh. “Hey, I  _ am _ the older twin!”

“Silence, spy!” Yukio snaps. “Rin, you’re a terrible sister!”

“Yeah, but at least I’ll probably make a great mom someday!” I giggle. “Meanwhile, a big strong man like you can’t even take care of yourself!”

And that only makes everyone laugh at him more.


	55. Chapter 55

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mamushi and Juuzo’s ceremony takes place, Yukio confronts Ryuuji, and an incident in Tokyo brings everyone back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please let me know with kudos or comments, and I’ll see you all next week!

Rin POV

The day after we visited the New Year’s shrine, I’m in my room, getting ready. Yukio’s already dressed and downstairs, so I can get dressed in privacy (not that I need it from my own brother, but whatever). I have an outfit picked out already, the backless dress that Mephisto insisted I keep after we ‘celebrated’ the postponement of my execution, and a large, modest black shawl to hide the fact that it doesn’t have a back (a feature that would prove inappropriate for a formal occasion such as a wedding). It’s not exactly a garment for a family gathering, more like something for a casino or a bar even though I’m not old enough for those things yet (if ever), but it’s the fanciest thing I own. Dad definitely wouldn’t approve of it. I wonder what he’d do if I told him that it was Mephisto who gave it to me. 

I hear a knock on my door. “Come in!” I call. I haven’t gotten dressed yet, but I’m still wearing a robe over my underwear. 

The door opens, and in walks Ryuuji’s mother. “Hello, Rin,” she greets me. 

“Oh! Hi, Torako! What’s up?” I ask. 

She holds up the large box she has in her hands. “I was wondering if you had anything to wear, and if not… maybe you’d like to borrow something of mine?” 

“Something… of yours?” I look at my dress, laid out on my bed. I look back at Torako. “What did you have in mind?”  _ Anything _ is better than what I have. Whatever she offers me, I’ll accept it. 

“You’re a good deal taller and more shapely than I am, but I believe this would fit you well enough.” She places the box on the bed beside the dress and pulls out a beautiful kimono. “Have you ever worn one of these before?” I shake my head. “I’ll help you with it.” 

The monastery was always too poor to afford a kimono, and there were no donations, so I never had a chance. I suppose I could steal some of the money Yukio makes and buy one, but I’ve never really had the desire to wear one. “I really appreciate this, Torako. Thank you so much.”

“It’s no trouble, dear.” She smiles at me. “Let’s get you dressed. I’ll do your hair, too, if you’re willing.”

So, after I give my consent, Torako shows me how to wear the kimono. We even figure out a way for my tail to rest comfortably beneath it. Then she sits me down and styles my hair in a beautiful, elaborate braided bun. As I look at myself in the mirror, I’m stunned at how well everything looks on me. 

“This is amazing,” I whisper. It’s truly incredible what Torako has been able to do with me, to modify my appearance so much that I hardly recognize myself anymore. I almost summon a flame to make sure that’s still me in the mirror. 

“You look beautiful, Rin,” says Torako, with a proud smile on her face and her eyes looking a little watery. “I don’t know if my boy knows how lucky he is to have a girlfriend like you.”

I shake my head. “No, you’re the one Ryuuji’s lucky to have. You’re an awesome mother, Torako. If I knew my mom, I’d hope she’d be even half as incredible as you are.” But all that is in the distant past. I never knew my mother, Yuri Egin, and I never will, since she’s been dead for sixteen years. I don’t know what she was like, save for what Shura told me and Yukio.  _ Speaking of which… Yukio was really eager to learn even anything about our mother. I still don’t understand why. It’s not like it’ll make any difference one way or another, right? Why does it matter to know what she was like? Why does it matter to know how we were born? Even if December 27 isn’t our birthday, why does he care? We’ve always celebrated it on that day, combining it with Christmas, even, so why would Yukio want to think that there’s a possibility that it’s different? _ I don’t care about knowing my mother. Knowing who she was and what she was like won’t change anything, even if I am grateful to her for giving birth to us. She died a long time ago, and that’s the end of it. Knowing what happened all those years ago, when Yukio and I were born, won’t make any difference anymore. 

  
  


Ryuuji POV

“The time has finally come,” my father says as I help him into his robes. “It’s been a while. Can I still perform a wedding?”

“Well, just do your best today,” I encourage him gently. He’ll do fine with performing the wedding. After all, he  _ was  _ talking about mine and Rin’s with Shiro Fujimoto. I’m just glad Rin stopped them before they could have a chance to continue their conversation too much longer. They might’ve started talking about grandchildren or something if she hadn’t stepped in. It was rather strange, actually, to see her telling off the paladin like he was a child. And it was even stranger that he didn’t argue with her about it, despite being the man who raised her. It’s like they forgot who was the parent and who was the child for a minute. 

“Heh heh…” he chuckles. “You’re not as harsh as you used to be.”

“Oh, I’m not? Maybe it’s because of my hairstyle.” My mom, at least, was ecstatic when she saw it. 

“Are you sure it’s not because of that gorgeous girlfriend of yours?” my dad asks with a sly grin on his face. While my cheeks heat up, he laughs. “I’m serious. Rin is a better girlfriend than I could have chosen for you. She is a wonderful young woman.”  _ He would have  _ chosen _ a girlfriend for me?! _ “Still, you  _ have _ changed. I even heard you’re some big shot exorcist’s apprentice now. His name is Lightning?”

“You know about that?!”

“Renzo and the others mentioned it. At first, there was quite a commotion, but they calmed down after hearing who your master was.”

“Those guys…” I groan. I can just imagine Juuzo and Kinzo’s complaining. It’s so embarrassing. They’re not even  _ my _ older brothers, and yet they’re as overbearing as if they were. 

“I assume he’s a good master, no?”

“Y-yeah, I guess…” My guilt is starting to bubble up again. “Dad… you know Shiro Fujimoto pretty well, right?”

The light mood from earlier is gone. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, um…” Maybe it would be better if we didn’t talk about this right now. “Never mind.”

“Suguro.” I spin around, and in the doorway is my girlfriend’s twin. “Your mother is calling you,” says Yukio. 

“Sorry,” I apologize. “I was just talking to my father.”

“Bon,” says a new voice, and Gozo approaches from behind Yukio. “I’ll take over here.”

It isn’t until Yukio and I are sitting, waiting for the ceremony to start, that he speaks his mind. Everyone else is off doing chores for Mom, so it’s just us. “Suguro,” he begins. I have a bad feeling about where this is headed. He probably heard me ask about Shiro Fujimoto. 

“Yes?”

“Is there something you wanted to know about Father Fujimoto?”  _ He… he heard that?!  _ “A couple of weeks ago, you visited the monastery where Rin and I grew up. What is Lightning investigating?” My blood runs cold.  _ How did he know that we visited the monastery? _ “An old monk named Misumi died soon after Lightning’s visit. Surely you didn’t have anything to do with that?”  _ What the… What’s with this interrogation? Why does he want to know about Misumi’s death? _

“Yuki,  _ enough.  _ Stop bullying him.”  _ When did Rin get here? _ She’s on my other side, glaring warningly at Yukio. She’s beautiful. She’s wearing a kimono, and her long black hair has been styled into a beautiful braided bun. I didn’t even know she owned a kimono, let alone the accessories and know-how to do her hair like that.  _ Wait. She probably doesn’t. And that kimono looks kinda familiar. Did… did Mom help her? Would she have done that?  _ A horrible sinking feeling tells me that she would.  _ Oh, god, don’t tell me they’re best friends now…  _ I groan internally. This could either be really good or really bad for me, depending on whatever happens. 

Yukio immediately looks apologetic. “I’m sorry for pressing you. I fully understand. You can’t simply spill the contents of a top secret investigation.” He’s right, of course. I can’t just tell him this kind of thing. 

“Yeah…” I’m grateful that Rin is here. For some reason, I’m getting the horrible feeling of murderous intent from Yukio, and it’s like Rin is the only one stopping him right now.  _ But why? Is it because of Misumi’s death, and he wants revenge? No, something tells me that isn’t quite it. But why is he asking me about this? _

The ceremony goes smoothly. My father leads Juuzo down the aisle, then Mamushi follows in her bridal kimono. For a moment, I can picture Rin in one, then the image is gone. Maybe our dads had a point, in talking about my and Rin’s possible future wedding. As my father performs the ceremony, both Juuzo and Mamushi look as if today is the happiest day of their lives. 

Afterward, there’s a huge reception. But while Kinzo is getting drunk, I’m getting a call from Lightning. I go to talk outside. 

I’m shocked to find that he has an assignment for me. “What?!” I demand. 

“I know it’s sudden,” my master tells me, “But I want it done by tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow?!”  _ He’s really not giving me much time! _ “No, wait!”

“I emailed a rough draft. It’s in English, but you’ll manage.” He disconnects the line without saying anything else. 

I stare at my phone, dumbfounded. “What the…?” I mutter. “What’s he up to  _ now _ ?!”

I barely have two seconds to register that there’s a gun to my head before I’m grabbed by the back of my collar, spun around, and slammed into the wall. “Sorry, but start talking,” my assailant orders firmly, with his gun to my chin now. 

“Yukio?”  _ What’s he doing? _

“Tell me how my sister and I were born,” he demands. “What do you know?” His blue eyes are as cold as ice.  _ Did he always have this look in his eyes?  _ “Tell me.”

_ No… he wouldn’t usually go to these lengths.  _ “Are you really gonna shoot me?!”  _ And why is he asking  _ me _ how he and Rin were born? Why not ask Fujimoto? _

At my words, he gasps, as if he only just now realizes what he’s doing. He slowly removes the gun, putting it away. “What’s gotten into me?” Yukio mutters to himself in shock. “My apologies,” he tells me, almost sorrowfully. “Maybe I drank something alcoholic by mistake. Forget about this.”

He turns to stagger away, but I can’t let him.  _ Something’s wrong. _ “No, wait!” I grab his sleeve. “Has something happened?!” I demand.  _ Something is going on with him. I don’t know what it is, but he’s different somehow. Why is he acting this way? He’s usually so calm and collected, so why would he resort to pointing a gun at me? _

“Really, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize! Tell me what’s going on!”

But he just turns his head and smiles at me. “I’m your superior, so  _ let go _ .” I’m so surprised at his malicious aura that I actually do let go of him. 

“Boys,” a warning voice interrupts. “You’re playing nice out here, right?”

Startled, Yukio and I both look around, and see Fujimoto on his way out of the main hall. He closes the door behind him. “Of course, Father,” Yukio answers, like a dutiful son. “I merely wasn’t feeling well and Suguro was kind enough to help me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I will retire for the night.”

Without another word, Yukio nods a farewell, and leaves me alone with Fujimoto. Fujimoto groans. “That kid… I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately…”

“You noticed it too, sir?” I ask. 

“Of course! How could I not? He’s my son, after all,” Fujimoto tells me a little sheepishly. “He hasn’t been himself lately. I wonder if Rin would know anything about it…?”

_ Of course. She’s noticed, right? They’re twins, so she would’ve noticed what was going on with him, wouldn’t she? Surely, Yukio would open up to his own sister, even a little bit.  _

  
  


Rin POV

Everyone is gathered around the television, muttering. And there’s a good reason, too: there’s a cyclops in Ikebukuro.  _ I have to wonder, though: if a cyclops is on TV, does that mean that ordinary humans, that is, the ones without a mashou, can see it too? _

The next hour or so is a bit of a blur for me. Yukio comes in and tells us that he has orders from Shura and we esquires all need to leave now. I head back to the room with my brother, we change out of our clothes, and quickly pack our things. Then we meet up with everyone else outside. 

“And now the demons have begun appearing in the cities,” Yaozo Shima is saying. “More have been appearing in Kyoto, too, so we could barely rest during the year-end holidays. And more people are able to see them. Something’s happening.”

“I’ve received our orders,” says Yukio. “You esquires will take the Shinkansen to Shinagawa and then head for Ikebukuro.”

“Okay!” we all say in unison. All of us, that is, except for Ryuuji, who simply stares at my brother with… sadness? Contempt? I can’t tell what that emotion is exactly, but by looking at it I can definitely tell that something, most likely unpleasant, happened between them. 

“I’ll use a magic key to return ahead of you and join the fight. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Yukio inserts his key into the nearest keyhole and disappears. 

“And, um…” says Renzo, holding up a key, “as a spy, I’ve got spy stuff to do, so see ya!”

“What kind of spy does that?!” Ryuuji demands.  _ I know what he means. What kind of spy is he, to tell us that he’s going to do that? He’s supposed to be discreet about whatever spy stuff he’s doing.  _

“And what an odd position we’re in to simply let him go,” sighs Konekomaru wearily. I agree with him as well. Renzo is a double agent, so he’s doing stuff for both us and the Illuminati. 

On the train, there aren’t enough seats, so the other esquires and I are standing in the aisle. Dad has been called out as well, but he’s not coming back with us. He used a key to get back to the Tokyo area as soon as possible to help out with the problem. 

Around me, people are talking about the cyclops and how strange it is for something like that to be on the news. Sitting on the floor beside me is Ryuuji, furiously typing away at his laptop. Absentmindedly, I’m using one hand to simultaneously play with my boyfriend’s hair and give him a head massage. It’s kinda therapeutic for me, since it gives my fingers something soothing to do. 

“Hey, Rin?” Ryuuji murmurs quietly as he types. Instantly, I pick up on the vibe that he’s trying to be discreet. 

“Yeah?” I ask, just as quietly. 

“I need to talk to you about something.” He sounds rather grim. “But not right now, and not right here. Can you make time tomorrow?”

“Of course. You don’t need to make an appointment to talk to your own girlfriend, babe. Okay?” I lean down a little and kiss the top of his head. 

He slams his laptop shut, and looks up at me gratefully. “Thanks, Rin.” Then he stands, pulls out his phone, and calls his master (probably) after retreating to a somewhat private corner of the train car. 

We arrive in Ikebukuro just in time to see Lightning being arrested. He’s putting up a fight, and ends up bumping into my brother. For a moment, though, it looks like Lightning whispers something in Yukio’s ear before the Vatican people start hauling him away. 

Lightning sees us, however, before he’s gone. “Ryuuji!” he calls out. 

“Master?!”

“They caught me sooner than I expected. I may not be back for a while. But finish that report, okay?”  _ Caught him sooner than he expected? Caught him doing what? What’s going on?  _ I’d ask Ryuuji, but I don’t think he knows. 

“What?! Lightning!” But he’s gone. 

_ “It is now 11:30 PM,” _ announces the radio in my and Yukio’s dorm kitchen. Izumo, Konekomaru, Shiemi, and I are all listening to it while Ryuuji sits at one of the dining room tables, still typing away on his laptop. He has one last assignment from Lightning that he needs to take care of.  _ “These are live images from above Ikebukuro station. The fire that spread across the area was extinguished one hour ago, but black smoke continues to rise. The authorities still haven’t issued a statement on the number of casualties or the extent of the damage. Yes, supposedly it started with a train crash, but…” _

I tune out the radio. It’s all so horrible, and I can’t do anything about it. I’ve just finished cooking some food for everyone, because they’re hungry and I don’t have anything else to do. 

I set the food on the table in front of Izumo, Konekomaru, and Shiemi before setting a place for myself. 

“Yuki and Shima are out late,” comments Shiemi. 

“That’s no surprise,” I admit. Renzo’s busy being a spy, and Yukio is… well, busy being an exorcist, even though he’s injured. “So let’s eat without them. Eating should cheer us up!”

“ _ Yeah, that’s right! _ ” Kuro agrees enthusiastically. 

As everyone begins to eat, it starts snowing, and my mind can’t help but wander to Yukio.  _ Is he getting anything hot to eat? _


	56. Chapter 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio deals with his inner turmoil in unhealthy ways, and Rin worries about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you’re all ready, because this chapter prefaces the chaos to come. Enjoy, and I’ll see you next week! As always, please let me know your thoughts with kudos and/or comments.

Yukio POV

It’s snowing. That doesn’t stop me, though, as I plow through the demons in front of my comrades and myself. What does stop me, however, is the order to switch out. As I holster my gun, I feel something. Grasping it between my fingers, I hold the small, unexpected object in front of my eyes. It’s a memory stick. 

Then I realize where it came from, and my eyes widen.  _ Lightning! _ _ He must have slipped it to me when he bumped into me! _

I hold it tightly in my fist as I head into the temporary base camp tent that is set up and find a laptop there. “Can I use this computer?” I ask a nearby exorcist. 

“Yeah, go ahead,” he answers. 

As soon as I’m alone, I plug in the memory stick. A log-in window pops up. Remembering what Lightning whispered in my ear just before he was taken away, I type into the password bar. What I see when I submit it (after it turns out to be the correct password), though, is shocking.  _ What is this? _ I think, staring at the screen in horror. 

Unwillingly, I remember a time about two years ago. 

_ “Why are you raising us, Father?” I asked while out on a job with my dad. “Why does Sir Pheles allow our existence?” _

_ Father said nothing for a moment. “I won’t lie to you,” he said. “But I can’t talk about it right now.” _

_ “Not  _ now _? So you  _ will _ tell me sometime?” _

_ “You’ll know when the time comes.” _

So what I’m seeing…  _ And that time is now? With this… I finally…  _ But then I see something that makes me stop. It’s  _ his _ face.  _ Father’s _ face. 

The next thing I know, I’m outside, smashing the laptop against a tree, and there’s an announcement saying that my team’s break is over. 

I obediently get back to work, but my mind is elsewhere. 

_ In the end, I never learned the secret behind our birth. Not about our mother, Yuri Egin, or Satan, or anything about the core of the matter. What I did learn is that the Knights of the True Cross are as bad as the Illuminati! To save humanity, they would sacrifice it! Their priorities are all wrong! Even worse is Father Fujimoto! What is good, and what is evil? The Order, Father… I wanted to believe they were on the right side, but… _

“Okumura,” says someone, interrupting my thoughts. “You are relieved here.”

“Huh?!”  _ Why?! _

“You’re still a minor, so you shouldn’t be out so late. And with that arm…”

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” I insist. Even with my broken left arm, I can still fight with my right. And I’m almost healed, so I can use my left arm a little bit. 

“I received a report that you were fighting recklessly. Go home and rest.”

On the train, I don’t know where to look, so I just stare at the floor.  _ Rest? How? Go home? To where? I don’t want to go back to the dorm or the Order or the monastery. The truth that I learned after sticking a gun to Suguro’s face is  _ this _?!  _ I let out a quiet, morbid chuckle at the irony of it all.  _ I’m tired. I don’t want to think anymore.  _

For some reason, I find myself at Shiemi’s house.  _ Why am I here? Two years ago… _

_ “Why are you raising us, Father?” I asked on that rainy day.  _

_ “You’ll know when the time comes.” _

_ “Shura told me,” I said. “You told Shura to look after Rin.”  _

_ “Keh! I told her not to!” _

_ “She said you told her that you’re turning Rin into a weapon. What kind of weapon? And for what purpose?” I wasn’t about to stand around and watch as my sister was shaped into something before she even knew what she was being used for.  _

_ “Yukio!” _

_ I had never run away from home before. Back then, I didn’t have much money and had no place to go. But for some reason, I came here, to Shiemi’s house. I still don’t know why. I sat on one of the many steps in front of the store, silently allowing the rain to soak into my hair and clothes as I thought about my sister and her blissful ignorance.  _

_ “Yuki?”  _

_ I turned around, and saw Shiemi. “Oh…” I didn’t know how to answer her.  _

_ “What’s wrong? The shop is closed. Aren’t you going home? You’re soaked!” She approached me, bringing herself and her umbrella closer to my hunched form, sitting on the steps in front of her house.  _

_ “Um… sorry!” I don’t know why I apologized. Maybe it was because I made her worry about me.  _

_ “Don’t you  _ want _ to go home?” Shiemi asked.  _

_ I stared up at her, and it was a few seconds before I found my voice. “N-no, the weather is getting warmer, so I thought I’d take a walk in the rain!” I lied, grinning as if brushing it off. Lying was becoming increasingly easier for me to do, especially since I was hiding so much from Rin already. My sister had no idea about what Father and I were up to. She had no idea that demons actually existed, and I planned to keep it that way for the time being. “But I guess that was a weird idea so late at night… So I’ll be…” _

_ “Really?!” Shiemi interrupted excitedly. “Me too!” _

_ “Huh?” _

_ “I love to go out in the rain!” She sat down beside me and began chattering on about how she loved rain. Not that I minded, of course. “I love the smell of the rain! It’s the smell of soil and rocks and fungus and plants sucking up water! When the aroma of the earth wafts up, I get excited!” _

_ “Uh… Yeah?” I had never thought of it that way…  _

_ “Mom always gets angry and says, ‘You forgot your umbrella again?! For shame!’ Does Father Fujimoto get angry at you? You’re usually so straight laced. But sometimes it’s okay to loosen up!” _

_ “Do you really think so?” _

_ Nothing particularly special happened,  _ I remember,  _ but for some reason I felt like returning to the monastery after that.  _ The snow crunches under my feet as I make my way up the steps. I turn around once I’m almost all the way up, and look out at the view.  _ Everything is bringing back memories.  _ Suddenly I get a chill, as if there’s a sort of sinister laughter behind me, or in my head, or something. I can’t tell where it’s coming from. But, paranoid now, I spin around, and see… Shiemi. She’s at the door of her house. 

Then she sees me. “Hm? Yuki?!”

“Shiemi?” 

“What’s wrong? At this hour?” Shiemi asks. “Oh! Did you run out of supplies?!”

_ I suppose that’s what she’d think, since we  _ are _ at the store.  _ “No, that’s not it.” 

“Come to think of it, this also happened two years ago! Remember? I asked if you didn’t want to go home, and you said…”

“Yeah,” I interrupt her quietly. 

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to go home,” I admit. 

“Oh… really? But it’s cold out, so come inside.” I can’t really refuse her, so I follow her into the shop. “Mom has been away on business, and I have to go out soon, but there’s still time. So make yourself at home! I’ll make tea.”

“Oh… thank you,” I tell her gratefully as I sit down at the table. Shiemi returns with the tea soon, and pours the steaming beverage into cups. “Sorry about this,” I apologize. The last thing I want to do right now is to impose on Shiemi. 

“No, it’s fine.” But Shiemi gets straight to the point. “Yuki, did something happen?”

It’s natural she’d think that. After all, I’m here, and not at home with my sister where I should be. But I can’t tell her what I found out. “No, not really. I had work until early morning, so I’m just a little tired. Sorry to be so gloomy.”

“Yuki, sometimes it’s okay to loosen up!”  _ Huh?  _ Shiemi blushes in realization. “Um, did I say that before too? But now I think so more than ever! You’ve really worked hard! It’s okay to complain a little. Everything will be alright, you’ll see.”

_ No, it won’t. How could it be alright?  _ “How could everything be okay? I’m all alone,” I admit miserably, feeling the truth of my words. “I’ve worked so hard to earn respect, but I don’t have a place anymore. All of a sudden, I’m alone. I don’t have any decent family, or a single friend.”

“That’s not true,” Shiemi scolds. “I… I…  _ I’m  _ your friend, Yuki! And Rin… and Shima… we all love you, Yuki! Rin’s so worried about you, too!”

For some reason, the mention of my sister irritates me. “Well, I didn’t ask her to be!” I yell.  _ Why is the mention of Rin something so infuriating? She’s always trying to be there for me, and look out for my welfare. I know that, and I love her. So why do I feel so ungrateful to her? Is it because I’m starting to feel more demonic, like she is? Her flames are getting stronger every day, and I doubt it’ll be long before they completely take over her body. I told her about the flames in my left eye, but even I don’t know what they are from or why they manifested, and that scares me. Is it my own power that’s creating them, or is it something else? I don’t know. I did all that training, but I still don’t know what is going on. All I know it that they protect me when I’m in mortal danger, but why? How? _ Suddenly I realize that I’m pinning Shiemi to the ground, my hand firm on her shoulder. 

“Y-Yuki…” whimpers Shiemi.  _ I need to get out of here. I can’t even be around Shiemi. It’s not that I’m afraid I’ll do something… inappropriate to her, since I have no interest in that, but whatever happens, I don’t want to hurt her. _ I release her, stand up, and head towards the door as fast as I can. “Wait… Yuki!” Shiemi cries. That’s the last thing I hear from her before the door slams behind me. 

I don’t even know where I am. I just kept running until I got lost. Snow crunches beneath my feet as I wander the streets.  _ I am such a jerk! My inner turmoil hurts people who are just being kind!  _ I collapse to my knees. My gun slides out of its holster and lands on the ground beside me. It’s too tempting not to pick it up, so I give in to temptation.  _ I was weak.  _ _ And I couldn’t get any stronger. I’m so tired…  _

Slowly, I lift the gun up to the right side of my head.  _ It would be better if I died,  _ I think.  _ I cause so much trouble for everyone else, and I’m sick of dealing with everything.  _ And then I pull the trigger. The sound of gunfire echoes through the cold air, originating from my pistol. 

But the impact never comes. Instead, my bullet was stopped by something: the power of my eyes. A flame is emitting from my left eye, and all I can see on that side is blue. A maniacal laughter fills my head, the same laughter I’m sure I heard at Shiemi’s place. 

“ _ This pathetic weakling is now trying to kill himself?! What a fool! _ ” The voice in my head… definitely isn’t mine.  _ This is…  _ Satan _! No! _ I yell wordlessly as Satan continues to laugh inside my brain. 

“Oh, Yukio, my darling…” Shima, the spy, is here. I immediately cover up my left eye, glaring at him with my right. He’s the last person I want to see right now. “You’re finally getting the look right.”

  
  


Rin POV

_ “Good morning,”  _ says the guy on the TV.  _ “It is 7:00 AM on January 2. We originally planned to broadcast the hakone marathon. However, our programming has suddenly changed. We have breaking news regarding the fire and lockdown at Ikebukuro station. Here with analysis is Johann Faust, preceptor of the Japan Branch of the Knights of the True Cross.” _

Mephisto introduces himself in the only way I would expect him to (rather flamboyantly), then, at the news anchor’s request, he explains what the Knights of the True Cross really are. 

“Mephisto’s on TV,” I state, shaking my head. He seems more than happy about that. 

“He’s pretty excited,” admits Konekomaru, my cooking buddy. We’re making breakfast right now. He and Ryuuji (still working on his master’s latest assignment) stayed the night here, so it’s just us three. I don’t know where Shima is, or Takara for that matter, but I know that Shiemi and Izumo each went home. Yukio still has yet to come back. 

From the dining room, Ryuuji finally closes his laptop. I take the opportunity to call him for breakfast. “Ryuuji! If you’re done, breakfast is ready!”

But he doesn’t appear to be hungry. “Rin, do you have a minute?”

Suddenly I remember that he wanted to talk to me about something. “Sure!” I try to sound cheerful and carefree, but I can’t help but feel a sense of dread in my stomach. 

Ryuuji leads me out into the hallway and cuts right to the chase. “I wasn’t sure I should tell you,” he begins, “but I’m going to. It’s about your brother.”

_ I knew it…  _ My tail droops a little bit. “Did something happen?”  _ Yukio has been acting differently lately, so it was only a matter of time… _

“Huh?” Ryuuji clearly wasn’t expecting me to have an inkling that something was going on with my twin. “Have you noticed something too?”

I nod grimly. “Yeah. And it wasn’t until our trip to Aomori that I found out exactly why he’s been so disturbed lately.” I grit my teeth when I remember what Yukio told me about his eyes, how the blue flames of our demonic father protect him. “To be honest, I’m not even sure I should tell anyone what he said about it. It’s just so…  _ insane _ .”

Before Ryuuji can ask what Yukio said, we’re interrupted. 

“Rin!” A newcomer comes barging in. 

“Shiemi?”

“Yuki… It’s Yuki!” Tears stream down her face as she sobs uncontrollably. I’ve never seen her so distraught before. 

_ This can’t be good… Yukio… What did you  _ do _?! _

“Good morning,” Izumo greets everyone as she walks through the door. But no one is paying attention to her. Personally, I’m too distracted by what Ryuuji just told me. 

“What?!” I yell. “I find it hard to believe that Yukio would do that…”  _ I’m not doubting my boyfriend, but still… Yukio did something like that… _

“It’s true. He threatened me with a gun,” confirms Ryuuji. He’s not joking. He has a grave expression on his face. “He wanted me to tell him the circumstances of your birth, and about the focus of Lightning’s investigation. He wasn’t acting like himself at all!”

_ The circumstances of our birth… _ Yukio and I had a conversation about this.  _ “Rin… don’t you want to know about our birth?” “I want to know.” _ That’s what he said. 

“Yuki told me he’s all alone. Without any friends, or even family,” Shiemi sobs miserably. “I got angry, and said that wasn’t true, that he has me and Shima and Rin. But I guess I messed up!”

“Moriyama,” says Konekomaru gently, “you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

I can’t stay here anymore. I have to go find him. I need to find my brother and bring him back home. I spin around and dash out the door, grabbing my sword on the way out and slinging it across my back. “Everyone, just stay here and finish your breakfast!” I shout over my shoulder as I bolt from the room.

“Rin! Where are you going?” Ryuuji shouts after me, but I ignore him. 

“Hey! Rin!” Izumo protests as I pass her. But I only have one thing on my mind as I run outside. 

_ Yukio… Yukio!  _ “That jerk!” I scream at no one. 


	57. Chapter 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio confronts Mephisto, Shura confronts Yukio, Rin rescues Yukio, and the twins fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! Feel free to hate Yukio. He’s kinda irredeemable in this chapter. That being said, I hope you enjoy reading! Please let me know with kudos or comments, and thank you for your support. See you next week!

Yukio POV

As I expected, I find Sir Pheles at the press briefing room in the prime minister’s residence. Here, an ongoing press conference is taking place. The point of discussion is ‘antisocial organisms,’ or, in other words, demons. Sir Pheles is just offstage, talking on the phone. 

“Maybe you just lack training?” he’s saying. The person on the other end says something. “Understood. It’s my turn to speak. Over and out!” Then he turns to me, with that smirk he always has on his face. “Mr. Okumura,” he greets me innocently. “How did you get in here?”

“Oh, there are ways.” I toss my exorcist identification badge to the ground. I’m not here to play around. I suppose I might as well consider this my resignation, anyway. “You know, don’t you? You know  _ everything. _ ”

“About  _ what _ ?” Sir Pheles leans against the wall and grins smugly. 

“About my eyes! Look!”

“Yes, they’re lovely. Satan-colored!”

_ He’s being so flippant about this! Why is he being so nonchalant?! _ I’m shaking from my anger at him. “What’s happening to me?! Have I inherited the same flame as my sister?!”  _ I couldn’t possibly have inherited the flame, and I’m not being possessed, so what’s going on with my body? _ “Answer me!”

But his grin just gets wider. “No.”  _ He… won’t just tell me?! Why?!  _ The prime minister, up on stage, makes an announcement that I pay no attention to. But Sir Pheles does. “Oops… looks like it’s showtime!” He turns his back on me. “I simply don’t have the time to accompany children on journeys of self-discovery.” 

_ Journeys of self-discovery? Is he serious? This is about whether I’ve inherited Satan’s flames or not, and he calls it self-discovery?! I’m not trying to find out my personality here! I want to know why and how my eyes have this power, if I’m human or not! _ Sir Pheles steps up to the podium and begins his speech. 

“Greetings, members of the press,” Sir Pheles begins. “I am Johann Faust, preceptor of the Japan Branch of the Knights of the True Cross. It’s a pleasure to meet you all! I will now speak on the issue of the antisocial organisms mentioned by the prime minister. You can view this as additional information from the standpoint of a specialist.”

But I’m sick of hearing him talk. In my anger, I have already raised my gun, pointing it directly at the right side of his head. It won’t kill him, since he’s a demon, but it will at least shut him up and serve as a vent for my frustrations. 

Gunfire cracks through the press room, and a hole appears in the exact middle of Sir Pheles’ forehead. In shock, I start to lower my weapon. But before I can form a coherent thought about what just happened, I’m being tackled to the ground. 

  
  


Rin POV

“Gunfire?” I hear as I run down the snowy streets. “Someone’s been shot!”

“It was during a government press conference!”

I slow to a stop, just outside a cafe. There are tables and TVs set up outside, and the screens are showing live footage from the press conference. The conversation I’m hearing belongs to the people sitting at the tables. 

“Huh? Was it Matodo?”

“No, it was that guy from the Knights who looks like a clown!”

“Huh? He’s well-known around here!”

I approach one of the TVs, showing the shooter being apprehended, tackled and pinned down by guards. But when I get a good look at him, there’s no mistaking those moles paired with those glasses. “Yukio?!”  _ My  _ brother _ is the shooter?! Why?! How?! _ “Where is this?!” I desperately ask the people at the closest table. 

“Huh? That’s the prime minister’s residence!”

“The… Okay! Thanks!” Immediately, I take off running again, my tail streaming behind me, towards the prime minister’s residence. And my twin. I probably don’t have a chance of getting in, but I can wait outside for him. He should be coming out soon enough, what with his obvious arrest.

_ Yukio… what’s gotten into you?! _ Suddenly, without warning, a sense of foreboding penetrates my mind. A split second later, a shockwave of… something  _ evil _ hits me. I freeze up, actually terrified. Something has happened to this city… no, the  _ world _ . Something has happened to the entire planet. I can feel it.  _ What the…? _

  
  


Yukio POV

“Explosives trace detection came up negative,” argues Shura. “And the point of impact and his position don’t match. In other words, he isn’t the shooter! How long are you going to confine him?! Meanwhile, the real shooter has gotten away!”

I’m in the middle of an interrogation right now, though they’ve proved that I’m not the one who shot Sir Pheles. The bullet came from the front, rather than from the side, where I was. And I didn’t fire my gun, though I wanted to. Right now, they’re discussing what to do with me. 

“An investigation is underway, so follow procedure,” says the section chief authoritatively. 

“Tch!” Shura scoffs. “I’d like to question him myself! But there isn’t any time for this! Don’t blame me if you regret this later!

“Section chief…” says a man on the phone, giving him an ‘ok’ sign with his fingers. 

The section chief nods, understanding, and turns back to Shura. “We got permission, so you may take him today.”

“Oh!”

“But we will be interrogating him again tomorrow.”

As they leave, Shura sighs. But I don’t really care what they do with me. Throughout this whole thing, I’ve stayed silent, not looking at anything but the table. Whatever my fate is, I’ll accept it. It doesn’t matter anymore. 

Shura’s team shows up. “Captain Kirigakure!”

“Where’s Mephisto?”

“We managed to transfer him to his mansion, but recovery will take some time. The SPSC is asking the government to declare a state of emergency, but I don’t know if they’ll listen.”

“Understood.” The SPSC is the Special Project Support Committee, which serves as a liaison between the government and the Knights of the True Cross. “Yukio,” says Shura. “Stand up. We’re going back to headquarters.”  _ Back to headquarters? Heh.  _ It’s so pointless that I can’t help but smirk a little.  _ What can they even do with me there? _ Shura grabs the front of my coat angrily. “Do you understand the situation you’re in?!” she yells. Unamused by her tone, I finally make eye contact with her. She gasps in utter shock when she sees it. “Yukio… your eye…”

And that’s when the shockwave of dark energy hits. 

  
  


Rin POV

I’m shaking and sweating, still reeling from that evil…  _ thing _ … I felt a moment ago. My arms have instinctively moved protectively in front of my body, my hands clutching at my shoulders as my tail curls in, unconsciously, seeking safety. Around me, the humans keep walking, unaware that anything has happened. But…  _ What  _ did  _ just happen? It’s strange. The atmosphere suddenly changed! _

Suddenly there’s a screeching sound, and a crash. 

“There’s been an accident!”

“Someone call an ambulance!”

“Wha?! Gyaaah! A monster!”

“Uh… a monster?” Some people are looking at the guy who yelled about the monster like he’s crazy. But that’s because they don’t see it. I  _ do.  _ And I’m shocked that this guy does too.  _ What is going on?! _

I turn and sprint away. I can’t stay here, I need to get to the prime minister’s residence. 

I arrive, and outside is a mob of protesters. I won’t be able to get through them, not even to attempt to ask to see my brother.  _ What do I do…? _

“Rin!”  _ Huh? Who’s calling my name?  _ I look around and see the truck. And who’s inside.

“Shura!” I jog up to her window. 

“What are you doing here?!” she demands. 

“What am I— I saw the news! What about Yukio?! What’s going to happen to him?! Is he in there?! Please! Let me see him!” I have so much to ask that I can’t decide what to say first. 

“Rin!” Shura shouts, silencing me. “Calm down and listen.” Then she tells me something, something that is absolutely unbelievable. 

“What?”  _ There’s no way. There’s NO WAY that could be true. _

“I don’t think Yukio will come back,” she says grimly. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the change in the world. Exorcists and all lower ranks have orders to remain on standby in their quarters. Go home, Rin. It may be hard, but just lie low. You got that?” The truck starts back up again, leaving me in the clouds of turned-up snow it leaves in its wake. 

Somehow, with my mind elsewhere (for some reason, I think about how Yukio wanted to know about our birth), I make it back to the dorm. I slide open the door to the dining room, and immediately there are five pairs of eyes on me. 

“Rin?” Konekomaru says tentatively. 

“ _ Welcome back, Rin! _ ” says Kuro happily. 

“Rin, isn’t this awful?” Ryuuji asks. He knows there’s no way I don’t know about the shooting, and the change in atmosphere. I’m still mulling over both of those things, but there’s something I’m even more worried about. 

“Uh… guys?” I say. Then stop for a moment, still unable to believe what I’m about to tell them. “Shura said that Yukio may have inherited Satan’s flame.” Ryuuji, Konekomaru, Izumo, and Shiemi all stare at me in shock. “I…” I grit my teeth and clench my hand. “I should have known! He told me that there was a blue flame in his left eye that protects him, and I just let him suffer with that alone! Not once did I lift a finger to help him! But now… They’re gonna run tests, so he may not come back for a long time.”  _ Why?! Why wasn’t I more understanding at that time?! I should have supported his need to know about our birth!  _ “So… I… I have to go help him!”

“No!” Ryuuji yells. “Wait, think about it!”

“Why?! I have to talk to Yukio!”

“But you haven’t thought about the consequences! Then  _ both _ of you would be gone! Don’t you understand that I don’t want to lose you too, Rin?!”

“Ryuuji, he’s my  _ brother _ . We’ve been together since before birth. I can’t leave him to be experimented on. Don’t you understand?” But the instant the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. Because he  _ does _ understand. Renzo was like a brother to him, and he lost him when he joined the Illuminati to work as a spy for them. Granted, he’s a spy for us too, but that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t grown apart from Ryuuji and Konekomaru. 

“Well, what do you plan to do if you get caught? Surely  _ you _ don’t mean to undergo testing too!”

“If that’s what it takes! I won’t let him be alone! And if we escape, we’ll run away together, away from the Order!”

“Rin…”

“Look, guys. I’m sorry for making you worry. But I’ve got to go.” I don’t know where they could be holding him, but I can try headquarters first. That’s probably the most likely place. I spin around and head back out the door. 

“Rin, wait!” Shiemi calls. I stop, waiting impatiently. 

“We might not be able to stop you,” admits Ryuuji. 

“But we’re coming with you!” Izumo declares. 

_ “According to the teachers, the confusion has left the Order short-handed, so security will be thin, but they’re holding Mr. Okumura in the underground confinement tower.”  _ Or so we were told by Belial. Right on cue, there’s an explosion. Right about now, Shiemi and Izumo should be playing their roles in the ‘get help’ part of our plan, and Ryuuji and Konekomaru should be getting away from the explosion site. Meanwhile, I run, invisible, toward my destination. 

I find the right door, and blast it open with my flames. My twin is sitting, unresponsive, on the bed of his cell. “Yukio!” I pull back the hood of my camouflage poncho. “This is a rescue! So come on!”

_ “We’ll need a plan that’ll make it look like an act of God allowed Yukio to escape,” said Ryuuji.  _

_ “Such a grandiose plan?! In such a short time?!” Izumo complained.  _

_ “Like a natural disaster breaking the door to his cell!” Shiemi suggested.  _

_ “It’s a good idea,” admitted Koneko, “but we’ll need powerful help.”  _

_ “Powerful help?” Ryuuji pondered. “Lightning’s at the Vatican, so…” _

_ We were interrupted by the door sliding open, and Belial, Mephisto’s servant, walked in. “Your helper,” he said, “shall be Samael, the King of Time.” _

_ Lurking behind him was none other than Amaimon, the King of Earth.  _

Amaimon’s job was to distract the exorcists around here. If he stuck to his script (which was literally given to him in the form of note cards), he should have done just that. I don’t have time to worry about that particular demon brother of mine. Right now I need to worry about my human brother, whose escape I am currently carrying out. 

“Everyone worked together so we could escape,” I tell Yukio as I take him outside into the cold, snow-filled air. I lead him out onto the bridge that leads away from this place. “We’ll go as far as we can by train and find a place to stay at the last stop. Then we’ll talk.” Then I realize he’s not right behind me. I turn around, and notice that he’s still at the beginning of the bridge. “Yukio? What’s wrong?”

“You’re my older sister,” he begins. “So I knew you would come sooner or later. But you came sooner than expected. Why do you always come to my aid? We were pretty much born at the same time, so why are we so different?”

“What are you talking about?! This isn’t the place for this!”  _ He’s talking nonsense! _ There’s a repetitive thumping sound in the air, and out of nowhere appears… “A helicopter?!”

“Yukio,” a voice nearby greets my brother. It’s Renzo. “The Illuminati welcomes you! After all, you can’t stay  _ here _ , can you?”

“Renzo?!”  _ What does he think he’s doing?! _ “Stop screwing around! Yukio would never join the Illuminati!” But, proving me wrong, Yukio turns around coldly and starts walking in the other direction, towards the helicopter. “Yukio?!”

He stops. “Before I go, let me tell you something. The Knights of the True Cross are the same as the Illuminati. Mephisto and the Order spent countless lives in experiments to create vessels for demons. In fact, it was the Order that gave birth to the Illuminati. Father Fujimoto was one of the subjects those experiments created. They raised him to be an exorcist. Would someone like that have a human heart?”

“Huh?”  _ Our dad was… _

“He was raising us to be  _ weapons _ , just mere tools.”

“Tools? That’s not true!”  _ It can’t be! _ “I don’t know how Dad was born…”  _ I never know anything.  _ “But…”  _ The Father Fujimoto I know…  _ “He isn’t like that!”

“Yes. It  _ was _ different for you,” scoffs Yukio. “Because you were  _ special _ . He may have felt, or maybe even still feel, some affection for you. But I was defective. I was an  _ eyesore _ to him. Well, that doesn’t matter anymore.”

“How can you say that?!” I demand desperately. I can’t let him leave. “You…”  _ You’re serious, and you like to study. And you’re tall, and cool and kind, and popular. But you’re also humble, and because you’re intelligent, you’re going to be a doctor.  _ “Unlike me, you’re  _ perfect _ ! That’s why Father Fujimoto and I were  _ proud _ of you! What have you been seeing all this time?! Clean off those glasses and take a good look! You don’t get it! I’ll have Mephisto tell you the truth!”

“It doesn’t matter. I have no more ties to this place.” Yukio starts walking away again. 

But he’s not going anywhere, as long as I can help it. “No! I won’t let you go!” I run after him, but I only make it to within two or three meters of him when he spins around, with his gun trained on me. I freeze.  _ He’s not doing this to me. Not again. He can’t do this to me  _ again _. Can he? _

“I’m sorry, sister,” he says unapologetically. “I want to be strong.”  _ Yes… Yukio is serious and he likes to study… and he hates to lose.  _ That’s the last thought I have before the pain blossoms in the middle of my forehead. I fall backwards into the snow. “So I don’t need your help anymore.”  _ He shot me in the head again! _

I cough, realizing I’m somehow still alive. “Heh…” I mutter. “It must be another nutrient bullet…”  _ But the bleeding isn’t stopping. This time, he’s serious. And what about me? _ I groan, getting up. I don’t even try to stop the flames emitting from my body. In fact, I encourage them, by finally pulling out the Koma sword.  _ What have I been seeing?!  _ I’m angry at Yukio for wanting to leave me. Almost blindingly furious, in fact. My demonic side is coming out, and I have no intention of stopping it. 

“Gah!” Renzo screams. I forgot he was here. “Are you going to go wild on me?! Give me a break!” Before I can attack, he sends a whirling blade of black fire at me. But he misses, and I launch myself at him in retaliation. I land in front of him, and the mere shockwave blasts him back into a nearby wall. He collapses to the ground, immobile. 

Growling, I set my sights on my brother. I leap toward him, sword at the ready, but he doesn’t move. Especially when I swing it down at his face. But a circle of blue fire appears, blocking my attack and repelling me backward. 

As soon as it does, a sinister voice fills the air. “Mwa ha ha ha…” it laughs. “Stop fighting, siblings!” The voice is coming… from Yukio’s left eye. 

Groaning, I become aware of my human side again. The Koma sword is still in my hand. My eyes travel along the fiery length of it… and widen in horror. At least half of the blade is  _ gone _ , cut clean across the center of it. “What?!”

“It broke when you cut me,” says Yukio calmly. 

“Huh?!”

“You’re not half bad when you try. But you immediately return to yourself. How kind of you. That shows your limits.” His glasses have fallen off, and over his left eye, there’s just a small blue flame.  _ His eye… _

“But the sword is broken!” the sinister voice shouts gleefully, laughing. “At last… you are free of that hateful curse!”

_ What the…? No… it  _ can’t  _ be! How is this possible?!  _ “Satan?!”  _ Why is he here?! And why now, of all times?! _

Satan laughs. “It’s been a long time, my daughter! But I’ve peeked in on you once in a while. And now, thanks to four-eyes, we can finally talk, father to daughter! Heh heh heh!” He sounds almost happy. 

“No way! Have you possessed Yukio?!”

“No,” says Yukio. “I’m myself. Satan is speaking on his own.”

“But… How?!”

“I don’t know. Anyway, I’m leaving.” He starts walking away again. 

“Wait!” I cry out. But this time, I can’t get up. Something is happening to me. Something  _ painful _ . I gasp in agony. 

Satan starts laughing again. “It has begun!” he announces proudly. “It’s time to  _ awaken _ ! Samael trained you well. You’re no longer a mere child. That mature body of yours should be able to withstand the full flame! When it finally can withstand it,” he chuckles, “that body is  _ mine _ ! For that is the  _ promise _ !”  _ Wait, what promise? _ “Hm?”

Standing in front of me now is Shiemi’s little greenman familiar. He looks like he’s… trying to  _ protect  _ me. With a “Nii!” he grows large, and extends vines toward Yukio, restraining him. 

“Nii?” Yukio says in surprise. “Then that means…” He looks around, and sees them. His eyes widen in horror. “Shiemi…”

Everyone’s here, even Amaimon. “Yuki, don’t go!” Shiemi shouts angrily. For a split second, Yukio looks like he truly does not want to leave. He even looks remorseful.  _ Please, Yukio, _ I silently beg.  _ Please stay. If not for me, then for her. Please stay, if not for my sake, then for Shiemi’s… As your friend, she cares about you so much…  _

“Why, you…” growls Amaimon. “Don’t interrupt Father!” He kicks her in the stomach, and she flies backward. The vines disappear from around Yukio’s body. 

Ryuuji and Izumo immediately grab Amaimon and start shaking him. “What’s wrong with you?! That’s my girlfriend!” Izumo screeches. 

“You shouldn’t hit a girl!” Ryuuji yells.

“Hee hee!” Satan giggles. “What an interesting girl!”

“That’s enough!” Yukio snaps forcefully. He puts his hand over his flaming eye. 

“Hey! Don’t hide it!” Satan complains. But there’s nothing he can do, seeing as how that’s not his body, and he’s not possessing it.  _ But what  _ is _ Satan doing, if not possessing my brother? Inhabiting him? Sharing his body? What’s going on? _

“Get up, Shima,” orders Yukio, ignoring our demonic father for the time being. “And take me with you.”

Renzo stirs. “Wha…?”

“Yuki!” Shiemi screams as a ladder descends from the helicopter. 

“Yukio…” I wheeze, trying to get up so I can stop him. But I can’t move very well.  _ This pain… _

“I don’t know what will happen if I go to the Illuminati,” admits Yukio to Renzo. 

“Yeah, they might kill  _ me _ too,” speculates Renzo nervously as he grabs the ladder. 

“But if we both happen to survive, then I will be stronger than my sister. You can count on it.” Yukio grabs the ladder too, and Renzo’s arm goes around his waist. 

“Yu… Ungh!” I groan again. 

“Later, guys!” Renzo says, waving cheerfully as he and my twin are pulled up into the helicopter. 

“Shima!” Konekomaru yells. 

“Next time we meet, don’t kill me! Especially you, Rin!” Renzo calls. 

“Yukio!” I scream. But I can’t hold out any longer. My flames are taking over, and they’re  _ strong _ . I groan and gasp in pain. I know, instinctively, that I am never going to be the same after this. Whether I’m still me when this is all over, though, I have no idea. 

“Rin!” Shiemi screams as everyone runs to my side. 

“Rin, are you alright?!” Ryuuji shouts, worried. 

“Stay back!” I yell. And just in time, too, because my flames are fully consuming me now. 

Every bit of my body is burning up, and this time, I can feel it. My body is literally on fire, and it’s apparently no longer harmless to me. The scent of my own burning flesh fills my nostrils as I scream in agony, unaware of anything else happening around me. There’s nothing but pain and a blue-tinted world, and snow turning to steam all around my body. 

Then my vision goes black, and I feel no pain, or anything else, anymore. 


	58. Chapter 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio’s perspective of his departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! This chapter is kinda short, and doesn’t really cover much new information, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Next week’s chapter will be longer, I promise! As always, please leave kudos or comments with your thoughts, and I’ll see you next week!

Yukio POV

“Everyone worked together so we could escape,” Rin tells me as we emerge into the cold, snow-filled air, and she takes me out onto the bridge that leads away from this place. “We’ll go as far as we can by train and find a place to stay at the last stop. Then we’ll talk.” She turns around, and notices that I’ve stopped at the beginning of the bridge, probably sensing that I’ve stopped moving.  _ I… can’t. I can’t do this. I only have one option right now, and I hope she never forgives me, because I don’t deserve it after I…  _ “Yukio? What’s wrong?”

“You’re my older sister,” I begin. “So I knew you would come sooner or later. But you came sooner than expected. Why do you always come to my aid? We were pretty much born at the same time, so why are we so different?”

“What are you talking about?! This isn’t the place for this!” There’s a repetitive thumping sound in the air above us, and Rin and I both look up. “A helicopter?!”

“Yukio,” Shima’s voice greets me. “The Illuminati welcomes you! After all, you can’t stay  _ here _ , can you?”

“Renzo?! Stop screwing around! Yukio would never join the Illuminati!” Rin yells at him. She’s right, of course. But, unfortunately, there’s something I need to do, so I turn around coldly and start walking in the other direction, towards the helicopter. I refuse to join them, but I have a goal. “Yukio?!”

I stop at the sound of my sister’s voice. I suppose I owe her a bit of an explanation. I should tell her what I learned. “Before I go, let me tell you something. The Knights of the True Cross are the same as the Illuminati. Mephisto and the Order spent countless lives in experiments to create vessels for demons. In fact, it was the Order that gave birth to the Illuminati. Father Fujimoto was one of the subjects those experiments created. They raised him to be an exorcist. Would someone like that have a human heart?”

“Huh?” 

“He was raising us to be  _ weapons _ , just mere tools.”

“Tools? That’s not true!” Rin doesn’t believe me, but I know what I saw on that memory stick. “I don’t know how Dad was born, but he isn’t like that!”

“Yes. It  _ was _ different for you,” I scoff. “Because you were  _ special _ . He may have felt, or maybe even still feel, some affection for you. But I was defective. I was an  _ eyesore _ to him. Well, that doesn’t matter anymore.”

“How can you say that?!” Rin demands. “You… Unlike me, you’re  _ perfect _ ! That’s why Father Fujimoto and I were  _ proud _ of you! What have you been seeing all this time?! Clean off those glasses and take a good look! You don’t get it! I’ll have Mephisto tell you the truth!”

“It doesn’t matter. I have no more ties to this place.” I start walking away again.  _ I can’t even stay around my own sister anymore. She has every right to hate me. I  _ want _ her to hate me for this. Please, Rin… Just let me go. Live a happy life with Suguro and everyone else.  _

“No! I won’t let you go!” She pursues me, but only makes it to within two or three meters of me when I spin around, with my gun trained on her. Words won’t do anything. This is the only thing that will work, as much as it breaks my heart to do it. She freezes in shock. 

“I’m sorry, sister,” I say as unapologetically as possible. “I want to be strong.” Then I pull the trigger, and shoot my sister in the head. Again. She falls backwards into the snow, a shocked look frozen on her face. “So I don’t need your help anymore.”

For a long moment, I’m terrified that she won’t get up again. Then she coughs, realizing she’s still alive. “Heh…” she mutters. “It must be another nutrient bullet…” She groans, getting up. But now, flames are emitting from her body, and she finally pulls out the Koma sword. She’s angry at me now. For shooting her, for wanting to leave her, for tossing her to the side.  _ Good. _ But there’s something dangerous about her anger now. She looks almost blindingly furious, about to go on a rampage. Her demonic side is coming out, and she’s making no effort to stop it.  _ Don’t hold back, Rin… Please punish me for what I’m about to do…  _

“Gah!” Shima screams. I forgot he was here. “Are you going to go wild on me?! Give me a break!” Before Rin can attack, he sends a whirling blade of black fire at her. But he misses, and she launches herself at him in retaliation. She lands in front of him, and the mere shockwave blasts him back into a nearby wall. He collapses to the ground, and doesn’t seem to be able to move anymore. 

Growling, she sets her sights on me. She leaps toward me, sword at the ready.  _ “This is a rescue!” “Clean off those glasses and take a good look!” “Unlike me, you’re perfect!” No. From my point of view,  _ you’re  _ the perfect one! You’re kind, funny, beautiful, and the most talented chef I’ve ever known! You’re getting better and stronger with your flames every day, and you’ve hardly known about your power for nine months! _ She swings her sword down at my face, but I don’t move. Even if I think I deserve to be cut by my own twin’s weapon, I know, somehow, that I won’t get hurt. Right on time, a circle of blue fire appears, blocking her attack and repelling her backward into the snow. 

As soon as it does, a sinister voice fills the air. “Mwa ha ha ha…” it laughs. “Stop fighting, siblings!” It’s Satan. He’s finally come out. 

Groaning, and having calmed down, Rin sits up, looking at the sword in her hand. Then her eyes widen in horror. The blade is broken. “What?!”

“It broke when you cut me,” I tell her as calmly as I can. But inside, I’m panicking.  _ What’ll happen to her now that it’s broken?! How can she go on as she was? Will she even survive this?! _

“Huh?!”

“You’re not half bad when you try. But you immediately return to yourself. How kind of you. That shows your limits.” I somehow register that my glasses have fallen off, since everything is blurry now, and over my left eye, there’s just a small blue flame. 

“But the sword is broken!” Satan shouts gleefully, laughing. “At last… you are free of that hateful curse!”

“Satan?!” It seems my sister has finally realized it. 

Satan laughs. “It’s been a long time, my daughter! But I’ve peeked in on you once in a while. And now, thanks to four-eyes, we can finally talk, father to daughter! Heh heh heh!”

“No way! Have you possessed Yukio?!”

“No,” I assure her (and myself). “I’m myself. Satan is speaking on his own.” I’m not in control of what he’s saying or doing, but I  _ am  _ still in charge of my own body somehow. 

“But… How?!”

“I don’t know. Anyway, I’m leaving.” I start walking away again, as much as it pains me to do so. 

“Wait!” Rin cries out. Then she gasps in agony. 

Satan starts laughing again. “It has begun!” he says proudly. “It’s time to  _ awaken _ ! Samael trained you well. You’re no longer a mere bedwetter. That body should be able to withstand the full flame! When it finally can withstand it,” he chuckles, “that body is  _ mine _ ! For that is the  _ promise _ ! Hm?”

Standing in front of Rin now is Shiemi’s little greenman familiar. He looks like he’s trying to protect her. With a “Nii!” he grows large, and extends vines toward me, restraining me. 

_ Wait a minute. _ “Nii?” I say in surprise.  _ If he’s here… _ “Then that means…” I look around, and see them. All the esquires. “Shiemi…”  _ Everyone…  _

Everyone’s here, even Amaimon. I don’t think I even want to  _ know _ why they brought  _ him  _ along. “Yuki, don’t go!” Shiemi shouts angrily.  _ I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to abandon Rin. I love her too much. And Shiemi… she’s my friend. I care about her. And I hate myself for doing this to them. But I have to go. I have to do this, if I want to know what’s going on with Satan and my left eye. This is the only way.  _

“Why, you…” growls Amaimon. “Don’t interrupt Father!” He kicks her in the stomach, and she flies backward. 

Suguro and Kamiki immediately grab him and start shaking him. “What’s wrong with you?! That’s my girlfriend!” Kamiki screeches. 

“You shouldn’t hit a girl!” Suguro yells.

“Hee hee!” Satan giggles. “What an interesting girl!”

“That’s enough!” I snap at my demonic father. I place my hand over my flaming eye. I don’t want Satan seeing any more. 

“Hey! Don’t hide it!” Satan protests. But there’s nothing he can do. This body isn’t his, it’s mine, and since he’s not possessing me, I’m still in complete control of myself. 

“Get up, Shima,” I order the Illuminati traitor, ignoring Satan. “And take me with you.”

Shima stirs. “Wha…?”

“Yuki!” Shiemi screams as a ladder descends from the helicopter. 

“Yukio…” I hear Rin wheeze, trying to get up so she can stop me. But it seems she can’t move very well.  _ She’s probably in an immense amount of pain… If the Illuminati doesn’t kill me, abandoning Rin probably will. I don’t want to leave my sister, especially now. _

“I don’t know what will happen if I go to the Illuminati,” I admit to Shima. 

“Yeah, they might kill  _ me _ too,” says Shima nervously as he grabs the ladder. 

“But if we both happen to survive, then I will be stronger than my sister. You can count on it.”  _ And if I’m stronger than Rin, I can keep my promise to Father Fujimoto. I can protect her from… well, both the Illuminati  _ and _ the Order. _ I grab the ladder as well, and Shima’s arm snakes around my waist. I don’t even care whether he’s just trying to provide extra support due to my injured arm, or if he’s continuing to try to court me. In a life without demons and wars, I might accept his advances. I want to, honestly. But now isn’t the right time for a relationship. 

“Yu… Ungh!” Rin groans again. 

“Later, guys!” Shima says, waving cheerfully with his free hand as he and I are pulled up into the helicopter. 

“Shima!” Miwa yells. 

“Next time we meet, don’t kill me! Especially you, Rin!”

“Yukio!” Rin screams.

And that’s the last thing I hear of her. I take a moment to look back at my twin, and see her flames growing higher and higher around her body. I steel my nerves, and look away. Whatever she’s about to go through, I hope she survives. After all, everything I’m doing is for nothing if she dies. 

As the helicopter moves away from True Cross, Shima stares out the window. “I wonder if Rin’s okay,” he says. He saw what was happening to her. There’s no way she’s going to be her old self after this. “Yukio, that was pretty nasty. If you go that far, there’s no going back, you know? Right now, I bet you’re totally…  _ not  _ filled with regret.” He grins almost innocently at me. 

_ But I am. I hurt my sister again, and this time, it’s irreparable. She will never forgive me for stealing what humanity she had left. That is, if she even survives what I just did to her. I need to figure out a way to get stronger, and harness this power I seem to have. I still have no idea what it is. But maybe… if I can do that with the Illuminati’s help, I’ll be able to… _

Suddenly I notice what’s out the window on my side. “Don’t tell me that’s an  _ aerial fortress _ ,” I gasp in disbelief. 

“Yep! Unbelievable, right? They can get a giant stealth mother ship to fly! It’s called Dominus Liminis. The Illuminati’s research into the scientific applications of demonic power are quite advanced. The elixirs, artificial Gehenna Gate, and this Dominus Liminis are all the gifts of that demonic science.”

We disembark from the helicopter once we land inside the fortress, and we are immediately greeted. “Shima! This way!” calls a woman in a uniform.

“Oh, what’s up?” Shima replies, leading me over to her. 

“First, I should commend you,” she tells him. “The commander in chief is also pleased.”

“Aw, it was nothing!” Shima says, grinning bashfully. “To be honest, Yukio dug his  _ own  _ grave!” At this, I grit my teeth and glare at him. “Eep! Sorry!” he apologizes to me. 

“You must be Yukio Okumura,” says the woman. “I’m Homare Todou. My rank is adeptus major. I’m the captain of Phosphorus, the bodyguards of the commander and King of Light, Lucifer.”

“Todou?” I know that name. 

“First, the commander will meet with you. Come with me.”

“What about me?” Shima asks anxiously. 

“We’ll deal with you later. Go with Gunnar.”

“Yay! Good luck, Yukio!” Shima calls as I follow Homare Todou. 

Todou leads me to a door, and sends me inside with a warning not to upset the commander, since he is in poor health. 

I go in, and there he is, on a bed with wires attaching his body to several technologically-advanced life-support machines. He notices me and sits up. 

“Yukio Okumura,” Lucifer greets me. “I apologize for my appearance. I believed that you would come.”

“What is your objective?” I ask. “You said you wanted me. But for what?”

“Thank you. It was crucial that you come here if your own free will. You brought my father to me, and I am grateful. You are the world’s hope for true peace.”

“True peace?” I scoff. “Don’t get the wrong idea. This organization, its plans, and  _ you _ , are all  _ evil _ . This whole place is a  _ mountain  _ of evil! And I… am evil too. In order to learn about myself, my eyes, and the secret of my birth, I abandoned everything. You also said I could awaken my potential power. I do it all for that power. I  _ must  _ have it!”

_ I need to obtain whatever potential power I have. I need to accomplish my goals. _


	59. Chapter 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin burns and is reborn from the ashes, Mephisto explains a few things, and Yukio begins his time with the Illuminati.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, please leave kudos or comments with your thoughts, and I’ll see you next week!

Ryuuji POV

“Rin!” Moriyama screams as Rin burns. 

“Rin!” Rin isn’t even making a sound anymore. She’s lost the ability to even scream in pain as her own blue flames continue to burn her clothes, her skin, her hair, and every other part of her body. 

“Oh no…” gasps Konekomaru. “Her body… it’s necrotic!”

“Rin! Rin!” Moriyama struggles against Kamiki as she yells, trying to save her friend. 

“The plan has fallen apart! Where’s Belial?!” Kamiki demands. 

“He was supposed to meet the Okumuras, so he’s at the True Cross Academy station! I’ll call him!” Koneko offers, fumbling for his phone.

“It appears that my brother sealed Rin Okumura’s demon heart in Gehenna,” Amaimon’s voice says, behind us. “When the catalyst for the seal broke, the subdued heart fully returned to Rin’s body! For a thing of Gehenna to continually manifest in Assiah requires a vessel that’s strong enough! I wonder if Rin’s body can withstand the perfect flame!”

“What happens if she  _ can’t _ ?!” I ask desperately. But I don’t think I want to know what’ll happen. 

“I suppose she’ll die,” shrugs Amaimon nonchalantly. “Either way, you better get some distance.” He leaps away to a safe spot. 

“Wait!”

“I’ll watch to see if Rin is a sufficient vessel for Father. That was my intention, but… hmm.” Amaimon frowns from his faraway perch. The flames have died down, revealing a very burnt Rin, her body completely charred. There aren’t even any distinguishing features on her, save for her tail, fangs, and long pointed ears. “Was  _ that _ all she had?” Amaimon groans in disappointment. “How  _ boring _ .”

Like the icing on the cake, Rin’s charred remains crumble to the ground, breaking apart into several pieces as they fall. 

“No way…” whispers Kamiki. 

“But… Rin!” Koneko gasps, his hands covering his mouth. 

“No way…” I mutter, dazed. “Hey… she’ll come back to life, right? I mean, this is  _ Rin  _ we’re talking about!”  _ She has her regenerative powers, doesn’t she? No matter what injury she gets, she’ll always heal! She can’t die now! Die… Rin… the love of my life and my girlfriend… could be dead… _

Moriyama kneels down next to Rin’s still-smoldering remains. “Rin…”

Suddenly, just over what used to be Rin’s chest, a flame appears.  _ She’s alive!  _ “See?! Look!” I shout happily, hugging Konekomaru’s head. Inside the flame, a shape forms.  _ It looks like… _

“Is that…” begins Moriyama slowly, “the demon heart?”

Starting from the heart, Rin is beginning to regenerate, and it seems like it’s a faster regeneration than usual. First her chest, then her stomach, then arms and legs and head and tail. She has a string around her neck that carries her exorcist keys, which has remained surprisingly unburnt throughout her incendiary experience. And her hair… it looks almost exactly the same, but instead of being black, the hair on her head, which has somehow been restored to its pin-straight hip-length locks, and the fur on her tail are pure white. 

Blearily, Rin opens her eyes and pushes herself up onto her elbows. “Rin…?” Moriyama asks carefully. 

“Shiemi?” Rin murmurs slowly, looking at her friend. 

“Rin!” She’s truly alive!  _ Completely naked, _ I think in embarrassment, looking away,  _ but alive.  _

“Someone get her some clothes!” Kamiki exclaims. “And don’t you guys dare look at her!” I can only assume that Koneko is looking away too. 

Someone short bumps into my chest, and I look down. “Moriyama?” She’s been backing away from Rin.

“She’s  _ hot _ ,” says Moriyama, a terrified look in her eyes. She’s staring at Rin, who’s sitting on her knees, appearing to be examining herself. 

“Huh?”  _ What’s Moriyama talking about? _

“She’s not just  _ warm _ anymore.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. 

“That’s Rin, but it’s  _ not  _ Rin!”

Suddenly an explosion of light and fire radiates from Rin’s body. Moriyama’s familiar throws himself in front of us at the last second, and creates a forest as a barrier in between us and Rin. 

Meanwhile, I can hear Rin laughing. That’s her voice, but in a way I’ve never heard it used. It’s scary. “Ha ha ha! This is awesome!” Rin shouts happily. “My flame is going wild! And it feels great! Before, it was  _ nothing _ ! I’ve never felt so good!” She stands up, and notices Moriyama’s barrier. “A forest? Shiemi, did  _ you _ do that? I’m impressed, Shiemi! But oh boy… do I ever wanna  _ destroy  _ it!” She grins as if being friendly, but her eyes and aura have never been more dangerous than they are now. 

And Moriyama is running out of strength. She’s panting heavily, and has blood dripping from her nose. “Shiemi, you’ve reached your limit!” Kamiki warns. 

“We’ll be your last defense!” I promise. 

“I’m with you!” Koneko agrees. 

But now we have Rin slowly approaching us, with an intense heat coming from the flames dancing around her naked body. “Rin!” I shout. “Come back to yourself! Please, stop this!”

But she doesn’t. “I wanna release  _ all _ my flame! You’re my friends, so you don’t mind, right?” She grins even wider. 

“Where is Rin?” Moriyama sniffs. It sounds like she’s crying. Suddenly, Rin gasps and freezes, a strange look of shock in her eyes. 

  
  


Rin POV

I’m surrounded by darkness.  _ Where am I? I remember being consumed by my flames, then waking up, then going on a rampage with my strengthened flames… all while not being able to control my own body. _ A blue flame appears in my vision, and from out of it comes a naked girl with long white hair and a white-furred tail. What really stands out, though, are her blue flames. She walks toward me.

_ “Who are you?”  _ I ask. 

_ “Me?”  _ The girl smirks.  _ “I think you know. Did you think you had faced and overcome me? Not a chance! You merely suppressed me.”  _ I  _ do _ know who she is. The hair (and tail) color is different, but I see that face every time I look in the mirror. And… I know what she’s done just now. I watched everything. It was as if I were the one doing it, but I couldn’t control my body.  _ “I am you. You have been holding down your very self! And now it’s my turn! So get lost!” _

The flames around her spread, consuming almost my entire line of vision.  _ “I can’t do that!”  _ I protest.  _ “You tried to kill everyone! But I won’t let you! Besides, I can’t leave Yukio like that!” _

_ “Huh? He’s gone off with goals of his own. So just leave him alone.” _

He told me that I was special, while he was defective, just an eyesore in our father’s eyes.  _ “I made him say that, but I can’t let it end like this! Yukio is wrong! It isn’t like that! But I didn’t know what to say! Because I don’t  _ know  _ anything.” _

_ “Aww, you’re so weak! You have all these worries, and you wanna be nice! I can’t believe someone like you suppressed me all this time! You’re soft! That’s why you always lose so easily! But I can’t stand it any longer! I am the anger and avarice you have built up for sixteen years! I am power itself! And those with power rule! That’s the law of nature, right?! So you’ve got to die!” _ My other self lunges at me, a punch pulled back. She swings, and I catch her fist. 

_ “Yes, that’s right,”  _ I growl, gritting my teeth.  _ “I was afraid just as Yukio said. I’m a coward! Knowing the truth would have been hard, so I put a lid on the past.”  _ It’s my turn to throw a punch, and I slug the other Rin in the face.  _ “But I’m  _ not  _ weak! My sixteen years of life are my own! So I  _ will  _ protect them! I won’t give you this body!” _

_ “Oh? Then that’s all for now.”  _ The other Rin starts fading into the blue flames again.  _ “But listen. I am Satan’s daughter. And I can’t run away from this power. Do not forget your own words.”  _

Then, suddenly, I’m back in my own body, in the real world. My friends are still here, with Ryuuji and Konekomaru protecting Izumo and Shiemi. They seem to be unhurt. “You’re alright…?” I mutter, exhausted. “Good…”

Then I collapse, face first, on the ground, and I know no more. 

I slowly wake up in a bed that isn’t mine, surrounded by anime plushies and pillows and soft blankets. I sit up groggily, and recognize where I am. “Mephisto’s room…?” I slide out of bed, wearing nothing but a robe that’s way too big for me. I walk past a mirror, and do a double take. 

My ears are longer than they usually are with Kurikara sheathed. In fact, they’re nearly the length that they usually are when I draw Kurikara and I’m wreathed in my flames. The thought of Kurikara makes me sad as I remember its fate. It’s broken, and because of that, my power was let loose. As well as…  _ is that my demon heart? _ It’s hovering just over my chest, and despite the fact that it seems to belong more in Gehenna than in Assiah, I think it’s actually rather beautiful. I reach up to touch my heart with my fingers, but then stop, deciding against it. Partially because I don’t know if it would be a good idea, and partially because I notice something else. “Is that really me? My hair…” I whisper. It’s long and white, just like the other Rin’s hair. It’s as if I never burned it off in the first place. Wait, the other Rin’s tail was… I slide mine out from the robe a little bit, and it’s white too. And it appears I have one more demonic feature. On my forehead, just above my eyebrows (which are also white now), are tiny horns. I reach up and feel them with my fingers. They’re both very small, stubby, and baby-sized, not sharp at all, but if I had to put money on it, I’d say they’re going to grow, given time.  _ What am I, exactly? Am I still half human? Or am I mostly, or even full, demon now? Do I have any humanity left? _ Oddly enough, I don’t feel much different from my half-human self, but I’ve changed so much physically that I can’t help but wonder if my personality will change as well, if I’ll be corrupted and possessed by the other Rin, my other self. I’ll have to be careful that doesn’t happen. 

I hear a sound coming from my right, and look in that direction. There’s a set of French doors, opening out onto a balcony. A figure is standing at the far side of it, leaning on the railing. I approach the figure, and it turns out to be Mephisto. 

“Everyone is safe,” he promises when he hears my footsteps behind him. “And the broken Koma sword is in an appropriate place. The problem now is you.” He turns to look at me over his shoulder. “Which Rin Okumura are you now? I hope you’re not the violent one. I’m recovering too, you know.” Yeah, I do know. He was shot on live television.

“Mephisto.”

At my tone, he actually does turn around to face me properly. “Yes?”

“How were Yukio and I born? Tell me! About Satan, and my mother, and Father Fujimoto! I have to know! So please!” I’m ready now. I know that I probably won’t like the past, but I need to know what happened. 

Mephisto just starts laughing. “Oh, how I have waited for you to say that! And now you should know! Are you ready? Behold!” He swings his arm out, gesturing to the world he’s been watching from his balcony. I join him, and see the chaos down below. “The artificial Gehenna Gate has opened, throwing the world into disorder! And it’s all because my tactics failed! Just ignore that!”

“Tactics?”

“Anyway, I have to address this situation. You must go  _ alone _ .”

“Go? Where?”

“To the  _ past. _ ”

“The past? Huh?”  _ What does he mean? And how can I do that? What am I, the King of Time? Wait, no, that’s my (much older) brother Samael. _

“You already have it. The key to the door for traveling into the past,” he tells me, smirking. 

Then it hits me. “No way…” I start rummaging down the front of my robe, feeling around for it. I usually wear it everywhere. “You mean Father Fujimoto’s key?!” When I don’t find it, he holds it up. 

“It’s a kamikakushi key. And it’s the one and only master key for carrying its bearer to the desired dimension.”

“This?! I had it the whole time?! You should have told me sooner!”  _ I wear this almost everywhere! He should have said I was carrying something so valuable and rare! Even Dad should have known what it was capable of! _

“Until now, it wasn’t the right time,” he says sheepishly. “Eins, zwei, drei!” There’s a poof of smoke, and I’m dressed in a uniform. My hair has been braided and I’m wearing a black knit cap to hide my tiny new horns. This isn’t going to be effective forever, though. “Here’s a farewell gift. It’s a special patrol uniform. It’ll allow you to go pretty much anywhere, and if you raise the hood, it’ll hide you like a camo poncho. It’s my own special design! And since you still can’t hide your heart, I’ll do it for you.” My demon heart seemingly disappears. “You can use any door. The large glass doors to this balcony have an internal lock. Close them once, then insert the key and open them again. It will take you to the past that you desire.” I close the doors as instructed, then insert the key. But I don’t open them yet, hesitating. “Hmm? Hee hee hee… what’s wrong? You scared?” Mephisto giggles. 

“Yes, I’m scared,” I admit. “If possible, I didn’t want to know about my birth. If you were just going to reveal it like this, you should have told Yukio instead of me. He wanted to know.”

“Human beings have a way of averting their eyes from reality and twisting it. It’s hilarious! They have eyes but wander in confusion. If you want to move forward, you must accept reality for what it is. Unfortunately, the reality your brother must accept isn’t in the past. The past is what  _ you  _ must accept. It’s my nature! I’ve got to give it to the one who  _ doesn’t  _ want it instead of the one who  _ does _ !”

“You… are the  _ worst _ !”

“Of course! After all, I’m a  _ demon.  _ Now quit griping and get going! See ya!”

Rolling my eyes, I turn the key and open the door, entering whatever time period it’s supposed to take me to. I have no idea what awaits me, but I will face it. 

  
  


Yukio POV

I wake up in my assigned quarters on the Dominus Liminis. The view from up here is unbelievable, but I didn’t come here to photograph the clouds. I instinctively reach for my glasses on the bedside table, but then quickly remember that I lost them. Blurry-eyed, I get up. I notice the little table with various necessities on it, like clothes, a toothbrush, a shaving kit, and a new pair of glasses. I utilize these objects quickly, and leave my quarters. 

“Oh, good morning, Yukio!” Shima greets me cheerfully outside my room. 

“Shima,” I greet him in return, out of obligation. 

“Oh, come now, Yukio! You don’t have to be so formal with me anymore! After all you  _ did _ run away to be with me, right?” He winks. “You can call me Renzo from now on, if you like. For now, just come with me.”  _ Tch. He’s treating my defection from the Order as some sort of cheesy romantic movie. Whatever.  _ Still, though, it probably wouldn’t hurt to be on a mutual first-name basis with him. 

He leads me down the hall. “What are these clothes?” I ask as we walk. I notice that the ones I’m wearing are a bit different from the other uniforms I see around here.

“Your title in the Illuminati is ‘visiting researcher’,” explains Renzo. “So that’s how you dress. After all, you didn’t want to officially join the Illuminati.” 

This is true. I would never officially join them. “Where are we going?” I ask. We’re surrounded by many enormous tanks, filled with demon-like creatures. 

Renzo doesn’t answer, instead letting the one at our destination speak. “Good morning, Yukio,” Lucifer greets me. “Did you rest well?” I don’t get to answer him, because he rests his hand on the tiny figure behind him and nudges it to move forward a little bit, out of its hiding place. “Let me introduce you to my younger brother.”

It’s a shark. A small, air-breathing, land-walking shark, but a shark nonetheless.  _ Or is it a small person dressed as a shark? It’s hard to tell. _ “Oh… g-good morning!” the shark stammers nervously. “Uh… I’m Egyn, the King of Water! I’m the assistant director of this airborne lab! I… I’ve heard about you from Lucifer.”  _ Egyn, King of Water? This thing’s one of the Ba’al?!  _ “First, we have to examine you, to determine how you and Father are connected.”

“Examine me?! No way!”  _ I refuse to let them do that! _ “I know about the Illuminati’s inhumane methods! I would never subject myself to that!”

“I understand your fear,” nods Lucifer. “The weak reject everything around them to protect themselves. And that is only natural.”

“Weak?!”

I hear Renzo stifling his laughter behind me.

“After all, I understand how you feel. I too am weak. But you said that you want to be strong. In which case, you need to understand your condition.”

He’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. As long as I don’t understand myself, I will remain weak, and as such I won’t be able to accomplish my goals. 


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin travels to the past and observes Yuri and Shiro. Mephisto accompanies Rin and is actually semi-useful for once. Yuri meets Shiro after an unfortunate accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! Sorry if this is posted kinda late this evening. I had quite a busy day and nearly forgot about updating. But since it’s still Monday where I am, I haven’t missed my deadline yet. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I’ll see you next week!

Rin POV

The door opens to a snowy past. I’m in a different location than before, definitely no longer at Mephisto’s place, but it doesn’t appear to be much different than the present. “Is this really the past?” I wonder aloud quietly to myself. 

I turn around slowly in a circle, surveying my surroundings, and that’s when I notice the small, white-haired someone, standing on top of the shed I just came out of. He has his back to me, and appears to be watching something in the distance. He must sense that I’m here, because he looks over his shoulder. His eyes widen in shock when he sees me. “Gah! Someone’s behind me?!” He jumps off the roof of the shed, and disappears. 

“What the…?” In confusion, I wonder what just happened, and who that child is. 

“Later, you will know him as the priest, Shiro Fujimoto,” says a familiar voice behind me. 

I spin around. “Mephisto?! You didn’t come  _ with  _ me, did you?!”

“Nope. I’m just me 40 years before your time.” Mephisto smirks. 

“Forty years?!”  _ Is that how far back I’ve gone? And how does he know I’m from 40 years in the future? Wait… this is Mephisto we’re talking about. Of course he knows.  _ Mephisto looks almost exactly the same, but his fashion is a bit different. “You haven’t changed at all!”

“Demon vessels deteriorate, but they don’t age,” brags Mephisto. “Besides, I’m the King of Time! My body may change, but my identity doesn’t, no matter what era you visit!” He poofs into his dog form. 

_ Demon vessels deteriorate, but they don’t age. I wonder…  _ “So what about  _ my _ body, then? That obviously isn’t your first body, but I was born with this one.”

“Yours is a special case, even for a half demon,” replies Mephisto, smirking. “Since you are the daughter of Satan and that is your original body, you won’t age  _ or _ deteriorate. But I won’t go into the details. While I’ve got time, I’ll be your guide. But don’t forget that this journey leads to tragedy.”

I nod, understanding. “Alright.” I insert my key into the door I just came from and turn it in the lock. I open the door, and emerge into a dark building. I look around the decrepit old place. “Where are we?” I ask Mephisto. 

“The time and place aren’t all that different,” he explains. “This is a low-rent district of Northern True Cross Academy town.”

“Northern True Cross? It looks kind of rough,” I comment. 

“Forty years before your time, it was a dangerous slum. Homeless people and criminals lived here.”

Suddenly, a small, dark shape darts past. My head swivels so I can follow it with my eyes. “Who was  _ that _ ?!”

“Yuri!” a concerned voice calls out. I look in the direction the voice came from, and see three adults around a small fire. “You shouldn’t be wandering around this late! Come eat!”

“Okay!” the tiny voice near me calls back. 

_ Wait a minute.  _ “Yuri…?” I whisper. I look back at the small dark shape, which turns out to be a little girl, who can’t be more than six years old. A little girl with long brown hair, moles on her face, and…  _ She has exactly the same color eyes that I do… No way… She can’t be… Can she?  _ But it’s entirely possible. 

Suddenly I notice that she’s looking up at me. She has a very confused look on her face, wondering who exactly this strange, white-haired teenage girl is. Then she turns and runs to the people who called her. 

“Later,” says Mephisto, “she becomes Yuri Egin. She is your and Yukio’s mother.”

I sigh, my feelings about her confirmed. “I knew it…” Shura told me and my brother that he had inherited our mother’s brown hair and moles, while I have her eyes and face. She looks exactly how I would imagine Yukio and I would look if we were merged into one being. 

“You mustn’t interact with people in the past,” Mephisto tells me. “Time paradoxes won’t occur, but it causes confusion.”

I roll my eyes. “I get it, I won’t cause any trouble.” I make sure I’m hidden, though, so I can observe my mother without being noticed. 

“And now…”

We watch what happens. 

“You shouldn’t walk around after dark, Yuri,” scolds the middle-aged woman, one of the four sitting around the fire. She’s sitting on Yuri’s right hand side. There’s also an older man sitting to Yuri’s left, and a very old woman sitting across from her. 

“That’s right,” agrees the old man. “There are dangerous people about. They might gouge out your eyes like they did to Granny!”

“Yahahaha!” the older woman guffaws. “Actually, I kinda like it! I’m cool like a pirate!” She has an eyepatch over her right eye, and a crazy look in her left. 

“Bwahaha!” Yuri laughs loudly with the old woman. 

“It’s not funny!” the man reprimands her sternly. “Human beings are one thing, but there are worse things that crawl out of the darkness!” 

“Oku and Granny used to be exorcists,” the woman explains to Yuri. 

“I’m not scared of ghosts!” Yuri insists boldly. 

“Hee hee!” Granny chuckles. “Yuri, monsters are worse than people, because they reveal the human heart!”

“No problem!” Yuri chirps brightly. “Just the other day, I met a blue fireball! And I wasn’t afraid at all!”

The reactions are immediate. “Blue fireball?” Oku asks suspiciously. 

“Hmm…” ponders Granny. “That was a rinka.”

“A rinka?” Yuri asks curiously. 

“It’s a spectral flame seen all over the world. Demon fire, azul, irrlicht, will-o’-the-wisp, ignis fatuus… it has many names.”

“What  _ is _ it?” Yuri asks, eyes sparkling. 

“No one knows. Some say dead souls, others say the fires of the underworld.”

“Yikes…” the middle-aged woman mutters. 

“And there are others still, who say they’re goblins and fairies and the temporary forms of sacred foxes.”

“Really?!” Yuri really is quite interested now, fascinated by all this new information. “Awesome! I hope they’re fairies or foxes! That way, I can be friends with them!”

“Granny!” Oku shouts angrily. “Stop that! You’ll turn her into a weirdo like you!”

But Granny just laughs harder than she did before. “Weirdos have more fun!”

“She needs to start school soon,” decides Oku, with a sleeping Yuri on his lap. 

“She’s growing up so fast!” the middle-aged woman says fondly. “Oku, she was just a newborn when you found her lying in the junkyard and brought her back.”

“Yeah…”

“Oku, you still have your exorcist’s license, don’t you? Ever think about working again?” Oku doesn’t answer. “I would if my eyes were better, but you two could rent a house and live on your own!”

“No,” Oku objects quietly. “It took all of us to raise her. Besides, being together is more fun. But I’ll look into it. At this rate, she’ll end up like Granny.”

The woman laughs. “Yeah, that’s right!”

From my hiding place, I find myself smiling. “They seem happy,” I comment to Mephisto. “I’m glad!” Yuri may not have been raised in an actual house, nor with really any money, but she had a truly wonderful family. 

“Let’s move forward in time,” suggests Mephisto. 

“Yeah.” Reluctantly, I pull my eyes away from the scene and insert my key into the nearest door. I go through, and emerge into a place filled with garbage. “Huh? There’s junk everywhere!” I comment. 

“Shh! There she is!” Mephisto points out Yuri. 

She’s alone, but still small, like she was when I last saw her. “How much time has passed?” I ask. It can’t have been very long. 

“It’s the next day,” says Mephisto as we watch her. 

“Today,” she says brightly to no one, “let’s play house!” I watch in fascination as she starts talking for the dolls and stuffed animals around her. She even does the appropriate sound effects herself. “‘Knock knock!’ ‘Hello!’ ‘Welcome to our house!’ ‘I just made coffee. Wait right here.’ ‘Oh, don’t mind me!’ ‘Here you go!’ ‘Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp!’”

“Man…” I mutter, pitying her. “This is so sad. She’s all alone. She should get some friends!”

“Isn’t that just how little kids are?” Mephisto asks. 

“And now,” continues Yuri. But then she screams. A small blue flame throws one of the tin cans she was using in her game across the room. I gape.  _ What just happened? What  _ was _ that?  _ Yuri stares at the tin can in awe. “It’s here…” she whispers. “Rinka?” she asks tentatively. 

“So that’s the blue flame she saw,” I mutter to Mephisto. 

“It’s Satan,” he tells me grimly. 

“What?!”

“Back then, Rinka was one word for Satan. Satan would appear in Assiah for no apparent reason and then disappear again.”

Yuri runs over to her bag, fishes around in it for a moment, and pulls out a handful of pencil stubs. She sets them up in a line. “What’s she doing?” I wonder aloud. 

“There!” Yuri exclaims. “How about this?” There’s an instant reaction. The blue flames lash out and send one of the pencil stubs flying. “Wah!” Yuri’s eyes sparkle. “Cool!” She lugs a few chairs over, arranging them in a row. “What about this?” Blue flames flare up, and when they’re gone, three of the legs on each of the chairs have been burnt off. “Ha ha ha!” Yuri laughs gleefully. 

Suddenly it hits me. “Is he  _ playing _ ?”

“Yep.” Yuri arranges some hula hoops next. “Satan didn’t have an ego yet. So I don’t know if he knew he was playing or not. But this was probably his first intelligent interaction.”

“Yuri!” It’s Oku. He found her. “You shouldn’t play here! It’s dangerous!”

Yuri looks surprised and sad to be discovered. “Okay!” she answers regretfully. “Bye bye!” Yuri waves at the spot that the flames were appearing inside the hoops, then runs to Oku. 

“What were you doing?” Oku asks, concerned. 

“Playing house,” answers Yuri. 

“If all that junk collapsed, it would bury you alive,” warns Oku. 

“But there’s so much fun stuff here!”

“Let’s move forward again,” suggests Mephisto. 

But through the next door I open is a fire, a great, hot blaze that is consuming an entire building. 

“Fire!” someone yells. 

“Outta the way! Move aside!” the fireman shouts. 

I find myself moving forward in horror as I realize something. I was brought here for a reason. “Is this the factory where Mom lived?” I whisper. 

“O…” says a tiny voice beside me. 

I look down and to my left, and there she is. “No…”

“Oku!” Yuri screams. “Nico! Granny!” She darts forward, as if she, a tiny six-year-old girl, could save three fully grown adults from the fire. 

“Don’t get in the way!” a fireman yells at her, holding out his arm to stop her. “Stay back!”

“Oku!” Yuri wails. 

The next time I open a door, it’s to the aftermath of the fire, presumably the next morning. Yuri is looking around the burned up building. I doubt that she knows that people are talking about her. 

“I heard that they found three charred bodies. Those homeless people must’ve left a fire going…”

“I wish they wouldn’t do that!”

“Yuck! What a creepy kid!”

“Just leave her.”

I watch as Yuri lies in the snow, sobbing. “This is awful!” I want to help her. But I can’t even talk to her. What would I even say, if I could? Introduce myself as one of her future children and tell her that she’s going to be okay? Even she, with her weird taste in friends, would think I’m crazy. 

“Come on. You shouldn’t help her,” says Mephisto, reinforcing what I already know. 

So I watch as she gets hungry, goes to beg for food, and is rejected. Then she finds a small hidden shed on her own where she can rest. But, judging from what I can hear of her commentary, someone already lives there. With a bed, and difficult books, and what Nico, who I now understand is the middle aged woman that Yuri was with, calls dirty magazines. Then there’s some rustling, crunching, and apologizing. It seems Yuri found some chips, and is now gobbling them down. Eventually, she finishes eating, and everything goes quiet. 

I take a chance and kneel down to peek into the little shed. She’s asleep on the bed she talked about. Mephisto stands next to me, also looking into the shed. “I’m glad she got out of the snow,” I tell him quietly. “But this is some guy’s shed. Will she be alright? I should keep an eye on her.”

“You really mustn’t help too much,” Mephisto reminds me. 

A crunching of snow pulls me back to my senses. After I saw Yuri asleep like that, I decided to stand guard. I pulled up my camouflage hood just in case, and it turns out I was right to do that. The inhabitant of this little shed is none other than a familiar white-haired boy: Shiro. I peek inside to watch discreetly, still concealed by my camouflage uniform. 

He looms very threateningly over Yuri, who has now woken up and is blinking at him in confusion. “You…” he growls. “What are you doing in my hideout?! I’ll kill you!” This boy really does look like a younger version of the man who raised me and my brother, now that I get a good look at him. 

“I’m sorry,” my child of a mother apologizes. “I’m Yuri. My whole family died, so I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“What do I care?! Don’t expect any sympathy from me! Get out before I kill you!”  _ Oh my gosh… I had no idea that Father Fujimoto was once like this. What happened to him before? _ Shiro examines his chip supply. “Tch! You ate a whole bag!”

“But…” protests Yuri, “it’s cold outside, and I’ll die.”

“So die,” hisses Shiro, glaring at her over his shoulder. “I couldn’t care less!”

Yuri’s lip quivers, and tears spring up in her eyes. “Y… Y… you’re… the Yukiotoko!” she shouts. 

“Huh?!”

“Granny says he’s pure white and super tall and cold and terrifying! Just like you!” Yuri accuses. “You could let me stay until the snow stops, but you’re too mean!”

“But what’s in it for  _ me _ ?” Shiro counters. “I built this place to be my hiding place! I can’t have other people hanging around!”

“What’s in it for you?” Yuri asks. Her tears just about disappear. “Well, I saw you’ve got dirty magazines,” she says, holding one up, “so…”

Shiro screams, and snatches it away from her. “Don’t look at that!”

“You  _ like  _ that stuff, right?” Yuri continues. 

“Shut up about it!”

“I know a place where there’s a bunch of old dirty mags!” Now she has Shiro’s attention. “When the snow stops in the morning, I’ll take you there. So let me stay here! You wanted a  _ benefit _ , right? So how about it?”

“Tch! Fine,” Shiro agrees with pink cheeks. “You can stay until morning. Then you can take me there. And they better have some major gazongas!”

“Gazongas?”

_ So he was already into big boobs back then?  _ I think.  _ I didn’t know he was so poor.  _ I look away from them to ask Mephisto about it, but he’s gone.  _ Hm? Where’d Mephisto go? _ I guess I’m on my own for now. I turn back to Shiro and Yuri to see him making a fire in a small metal bin. 

“Ugh…” groans Shiro, rubbing his hands together and plops down on the bed. “It’s freezing!” Without a word, Yuri sits down next to him and cuddles up, hugging him. “What’re you doing?!” Shiro shouts in surprise. 

“Didn’t you know it’s warmer when people are closer together?” Yuri asks. “But maybe the Yukiotoko isn’t warm?”

“I’m  _ not  _ the Yukiotoko!” Then Shiro goes silent, a strange look on his face. “Or maybe I am…” he says quietly. “After all, I’m not human.”

“Oh!” Yuri pipes up. “You  _ are _ warm!” Her eyes are closed and she has a small smile on her face as she hugs Shiro’s arm. “Even the Yukiotoko is warm!”

I retreat, sitting back onto my heels.  _ Mom sorta reminds me of Shiemi sometimes, _ I think.  _ That’s weird. _ But I can’t help but smile a little. “‘Even the Yukiotoko is warm,’” I whisper. “Yukio…” But the moment of peace doesn’t last long. 

“Walk softly!”

“We have to catch him!”

People are coming. I immediately get back. I don’t want to get in the way. 

A demonic black dog smashes its way into Shiro’s shed, followed by two exorcists. I only hear what happens next. 

“We’ve found you!” one of the exorcists states. “Don’t bother resisting, Shiro!”

“Alright, fine,” Shiro complies unhappily. 

“Nice hideout you got here,” comments the exorcist. “Is this where you’ve been hiding since you slipped away? You’re the only one from the Azazel group to do this. And— who’s the girl?”

“I dunno. Just some homeless kid who snuck in.”

“Anyway, she heard us,” says the other exorcist. 

“She’s an orphan, so she won’t tell anyone,” promises Shiro. 

I can hear the black dog growling. “Hey, uh… doggy?” Yuri says nervously. 

There’s a moment of silence as the exorcists realize it. “You can see this black dog?” the first exorcist asks. 

“If she can see demons,  _ that _ changes everything,” says the second exorcist. “Take her back to Asylum and check her out.”

“Yes sir!”

“Alright… come with me, girl.”

They lead her and Shiro out to the van waiting outside, put them into the backseat, and drive away with them. 

I watch the van disappear down the street. “Asylum?” I murmur.  _ I wonder what that is? _


	61. Chapter 61

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri learns about her family, Shiro makes demands, and Mephisto explains a few things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, everyone! Not a lot happens in this chapter, and it’s a little shorter than average, but I hope you all enjoy it. See you all next week!

Rin POV

_ When I was a kid, I was alone. I didn’t know how to control my feelings or my strength. So I often hurt other people. Before I knew it, everyone was scared of me. But I had Yukio. And Father Fujimoto provided a home for me. So I was truly fortunate. I never knew real loneliness, so I don’t know how lonely or hopeless my mother feels right now. I can’t even imagine it.  _

Behind the next door I open is what appears to be the exorcist cram school. I make it there just in time to see Yuri and Shiro arriving as well. 

Yuri’s eyes sparkle in amazement. “Woah…” she whispers. This must be the first time she’s seen something so extravagant. She  _ did  _ grow up homeless, after all. “Is this Asylum? It’s kinda dark,” she comments. 

_ This is the exorcist cram school,  _ I think, positive of it.  _ Was it called Asylum 40 years ago? _

“Good work,” says a voice, and I see three people approaching, two men and a matronly woman. 

“These are the children that we told you about, the ones we want you to protect,” one of the exorcists introduces Yuri and Shiro.

“We’ll take them from here,” says the woman, stepping up to Yuri. “What is your name, girl?”

“Huh?” Yuri seems surprised to be addressed. “Um… Yuri,” she answers.

“And your last name?” Yuri doesn’t quite know how to answer that one. “Never mind,” the woman politely reassures her. “Come with me, Yuri. First, you need to clean yourself up. You’re too filthy for a bed.”

“Shiro, you come with me,” says one of the men, placing a hand on Shiro’s upper back and leading him away from Yuri. Yuri, who has been clinging to Shiro’s sleeve this whole time, is separated from Shiro. 

“Hey!” Yuri protests. “Where are you taking him?”

“You come this way,” the matronly woman urges, nudging Yuri in the other direction. “No dawdling!”

“We have investigated your background,” the matronly woman sitting across from Yuri informs her. The last door I went through led me here just a few seconds before they arrived, and since I’m invisible thanks to the camouflage coat, all I have to do is stay silent and they won’t find me. Yuri is clean now, wearing a new little dress, and her freshly-washed curly hair is bundled in a long, thick ponytail at the base of her neck. “Your name is Yuri Egin. You are the child of Yoko Egin, who died six years ago.”

“Oh… I am?” Yuri asks, amazed to find out who she is.

“This old letter was sewn into the lining of your bag,” says the woman, passing Yuri an old, much-folded letter. I read it over her shoulder, and notice that the letter asks that someone take care of Yuri, because her mother can’t do it since she’s sick, can’t move, and has no one to rely on. “Your father is unknown. Yoko Egin’s mother and father, your grandparents, committed suicide.”

Yuri squints at the letter, not really paying attention to what the woman is saying. “I can’t read…”

The woman continues anyway. “When the Egin family’s business conglomerate dissolved, the family fell to ruin, and its members scattered. You are alone and helpless. Therefore, Asylum will officially accept you. Any questions?”

“Questions? Um…” Yuri thinks about it for a second. “What kind of place is this?”

“It is a faculty that shelters and educates children like you who have a certain aptitude,” the woman answers. 

“Aptitude? What’s that?”

“The potential to be an exorcist.”

“Exorcist?” Yuri has heard the term before, but I don’t think she knows what it means, exactly. 

“You will get up at 6:00 AM,” says the woman, explaining the schedule now. “After roll call, you will clean the dorm. After breakfast, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, you have general education. From 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, you study and train to become exorcists. After supper, you train until 10:00 PM. Lights out at 11:00 PM. Leaving the facility is prohibited.”

“Is this a school?” Yuri asks.

“You may think of it that way,” shrugs the woman. 

“Am I gonna be an exorcist?” 

“Yes. That is our objective.”

And so the meeting ends. Yuri is sent off to begin her training and education, and, meanwhile, I use my key to make an exit.

_ Huh? I recognize this place,  _ I think as I emerge from the portal I opened just now.

“Enter,” says a voice. That confirms it: I’m in Mephisto’s office. I pull off my hood, revealing myself, and I’m about to go talk to Mephisto when the door opens. I immediately hide behind a nearby wall.  _ I can’t let myself be seen. _

“Pardon the intrusion,” apologizes the man at the door. “I’ve brought the subject you requested.”

“Thank you,” says Mephisto politely. “You may go now.”

“Yes, sir!” The man leaves, and in his place is a very familiar someone. 

“So…” begins Mephisto. “You’re Shiro, experimental subject number AO-004 in the Azazel group!” Shiro just looks bored and unamused, as if he can’t wait to get this over with already. “Come closer.” Shiro does, not even bothering to hide the skepticism in his eyes. “I hear you often slip past the guards to escape Section 13, and you even had a refuge in the slums,” he says. “Intriguing… you’re the first subject to do that. They found 30,000 yen in your hideout. How did you come by it?”

Shiro actually looks astounded at that bit of information. “Tch! I didn’t  _ steal _ it! I sold parts and did odd jobs like cleaning, and just saved up.”

“That must have been difficult,” says Mephisto, sounding sympathetic. But I know he isn’t. “You’re just a child. The world is a harsh place. Wouldn’t it be easier just to get along quietly here?”

“Yeah,” agrees Shiro, “the world’s a trash heap. But it’s better than Section 13! When I saved up money, I was gonna escape here, and go far away, and be free! Instead of living in isolation with a bunch of guys who look like me, I’d rather die!”

“I see,” nods Mephisto, understanding.

“So now what?” Shiro demands. 

“Huh?”

“You gonna kill me? Aren’t you the director of Section 13, Mephisto Pheles?” he snarls. 

Suddenly, Mephisto breaks out into peals of laughter. “You crack me up!” Mephisto shouts gleefully, still laughing. “You,” he snorts, “really  _ are _ intriguing!”

An unamused smirk spreads across Shiro’s face, but he keeps his composure. “Oh? You  _ like  _ me, huh? In that case…” he leaps up onto the desk and grabs that hideous polka-dot tie of Mephisto’s, “make me an esquire!” Mephisto looks very surprised now. “Every 15 years, each test group raises an esquire! And this is the year! Group AZ hasn’t chosen yet, and I fit the criteria, so choose me! As an esquire, I’ll only have to be in experiments once a year! And when I’m an exorcist, I get to live on my own! And when I’m paladin, I’ll be rolling in status, money, honor, and big boo— I mean women!”  _ He was about to say ‘big boobs’.  _ “I’ll be free! You created me to save people from demons, but no thanks! I’m not going out as some demonic sacrifice!”

And despite being nearly choked by his own necktie, Mephisto starts giggling. “You’re so ignorant and stupid! Becoming paladin isn’t a ticket to freedom. Drill this into your head. When you become an esquire, you sign a contract of Morinath forbidding you from leaking information about Section 13 — and your  _ life  _ is the collateral! Heh heh heh! The training is grueling, and former test subjects never leave the organization alive! Even if you make paladin, you’ll swear fealty to the Order and be its  _ dog _ ! Ha ha ha! You will  _ never _ be free!”

“Then bring it on,” Shiro challenges. “I’m gonna kill every demon I see. And I’ll kill and kill until I’m paladin, and when my owners are finally done using me…” Shiro looks Mephisto dead in the eye, and from where I’m standing, it looks like he’s grinning both sadistically and confidently. “... I’m gonna tear out your throat with my teeth!”

Mephisto returns the grin. “Sounds  _ fun _ . Very well, then! I’ll recommend you for esquire.”

“Huh?! Seriously?!” Shiro’s mouth drops open, as he obviously wasn’t expecting his request to be granted. 

_ Father Fujimoto…  _ I think, still observing them.  _ He’s really feisty. Reminds me of myself a little, but he’s also totally different! _

“However,” says Mephisto, grinning up at Shiro (who is still standing on the desk) and obviously preparing to make this into some sort of deal, “there is one condition.”  _ Figures he’d do this. It’s literally in his nature.  _ “If you yield to a demon even once, you have to grant me one favor. Anything I ask!”

“Huh? Whatever. I accept,” agrees Shiro. He jumps off the desk and makes his way to the door. He spins around just before he reaches for the handle. “So keep your promise!” He leaves, slamming the door behind him. 

“Heh heh heh… oh dear,” mutters Mephisto, still looking amused. “Okumura?”

“Eep!”  _ I didn’t realize he knew I was here! _

“You’re like a nosy housekeeper, but I appreciate your discretion,” he teases. 

I sigh, and step out from my hiding place. “So what’s this Section 13 he was talking about?” I ask. “The cram school is called Asylum now, but is that the same thing as Section 13?”

“Keep going and find out,” he says, gesturing toward the door. 

“You won’t just  _ tell  _ me?!” I demand. 

“Nope! Off you go!” Mephisto giggles and gestures toward the door. 

So I turn on my heel, insert my key into the door, and leave Mephisto’s office. Only to enter… “Mephisto’s office again?!”  _ Even when I use a magic key I can’t escape?! _

“You’re late, Okumura,” chides Mephisto. He’s wearing a coat and hat, and is straightening his tie, which is different from when I saw him last. “Come with me.”

He leads me out of his office, and we pass…  _ is that Belial? _ “How many years have passed?” I ask as I follow Mephisto. 

“Four,” he tells me. 

“That’s quite a jump!” I comment.  _ Four years! That’s a long time! _

“For many years, Asylum was a children’s shelter, as well as an exorcist training school,” he explains. 

“Good morning, Sir Pheles,” someone greets him politely. 

“Good morning,” he returns, tipping his hat and continuing on. “Pretend like you’re my bodyguard,” he advises me, before continuing his explanation. “The school took in orphans with mashou or demon blood, and trained them to be exorcists.” A group of children walks by, and among them, I see a familiar face. She’s older… but that’s definitely Yuri. “It was dismantled after the Blue Night. Do you know why?”

“How should  _ I  _ know why?” I ask, irate that he would assume that I know the answer. 

“Because it was a place of  _ horror _ . Asylum served as a front for the research facility hidden underneath and known as Section 13.”

“Research?”

“It’s areas of study were complex, so few would understand.”

“Okay…” 

“Simply put,” he continues, and he gestures to the side. I look where he’s pointing, down into a lower level, and see all the tanks. “They were trying to create vessels capable of housing demon kings.” My eyes widen when I notice all the bodies floating in a liquid inside the tanks.  _ Oh god… don’t tell me…  _ “Section 13 cloned demon kings and cultivated them for possession. That’s right. Shiro Fujimoto was born here. He’s a clone of Azazel, King of Spirits.”

I remember what Yukio said earlier.  _ “Mephisto and the Order spent countless lives in experiments to create vessels for demons. In fact, it was the Order that gave birth to the Illuminati. Father Fujimoto was one of the subjects those experiments created.” _

“So… you  _ are  _ an enemy!” I accuse him. “But why do all this?!”

“It’s all for Lucifer! The subjects and researchers, and the research, and everything at the facility… it all existed merely to buy time until Lucifer explodes like a big bomb!” Mephisto grins, as though the prospect of his older brother (or should I say  _ our _ older brother?) exploding is an amusing prospect. 

_ Just what have I gotten myself into?  _ I wonder.


End file.
